


Paradise Found

by LOTSlover



Category: Legend of the Seeker
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, F/M, Romance, Squee
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-26
Updated: 2013-06-22
Packaged: 2017-12-13 01:09:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 40,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/818184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LOTSlover/pseuds/LOTSlover
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My very first AU fic!  Team Seeker and gang set in the Wild Wild West.  Hope you enjoy the adventure!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The hot sun beat down upon him making the air appear to shimmer before him as it glared off the plains. He sighed heavily, tipping his hat back to wipe the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.

He pulled his horse to a stop, reaching behind him to retrieve his canteen. Unscrewing the top, he took a long drink, his thirst barely quenched with the warm water. Hooking his canteen on his saddle once more, he urged his horse on, anxious to reach the next town before sundown.

He was on a mission, one that he was determined to see through to the bitter end...whatever that end may be.

Glancing up at the sky, he noticed vultures circling overhead, seeking out a meal. His stomach suddenly rumbled then, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday. Thankfully, the town he was heading for was already beginning to become a small blur on the distant horizon.

XXX

Dismounting from his horse, his boots hit the ground creating a small cloud of dust to form around him. He carefully studied his unfamiliar surroundings, finding the streets to be all but deserted save for him. The sun was just beginning its descent behind the mountains, casting a warm golden glow over the quiet town.

His hand fell to the silver-handled revolver resting in its holster at his hip, making sure it was ready when needed. And it would be needed if he had his way. He had only one thing on his mind as he glanced up and down the street – revenge.

“Can I stable your horse for you, sir?”

He turned to find a red-headed boy standing behind him, a wide smile on his freckled face. “I don’t know,” he thought long and hard for a moment, his gaze narrowing as he studied the boy. “I’m not sure if you’re someone that can be trusted with my horse.”

The boy fidgeted under the man’s scrutinizing gaze, lightly scuffing his boots back and forth in the dirt. “You can trust me, sir…promise,” he nervously replied, his hands clutched behind his back. “My father runs the stables in town.”

“What’s your name?”

“Renn, sir,” he politely stated.

“Well, Renn, I’m Richard,” he told him. “I will give you a coin now and another one later if you promise to take very good care of my horse for me.”

Renn’s face suddenly lit up with his words. “Yes, sir!” the boy beamed. “I’ll take very good care of your horse, sir.”

“Call me Richard,” he told him with a smile.

“Alright, Richard,” Renn said. “I’ll take care of him myself, make sure he’s fed and watered.”

Taking his pack from his saddle, Richard pulled a coin from his pocket, flipping it to the boy before turning to leave. He suddenly stopped; turning back towards the boy who was taking the reins of his horse.

“Renn, where is the best place to get a room and a hot meal in this town?”

“Oh, well, that would be the Keeper’s Inn and Saloon. It’s just down the street on the left,” Renn indicated with a nod of his head.

“Thank you,” the man lightly tipped his cowboy hat to the boy in gratitude.

Slinging his pack over his shoulder, Richard made his way down the street, his heart beginning to pound a little harder in anxious anticipation. It had taken some time to find who he was looking for, but he was finally here.

Despite his anticipation, he felt a sense of foreboding settling over him. There was something dark and sinister about this town. He was going to have to be on guard against everyone he came in contact with until he knew for sure whose side they were on.

His raptor gaze darted from one side of the street to the other, carefully taking in everything that he could. He was not about to let anything get in his way or stop him from getting what he wanted.

Catching movement out of the corner of his eye, Richard turned to see a tall man with broad shoulders coming out of one of the buildings. Well built and imposing, he was an impressive looking man, one that Richard hoped wouldn’t cause him any trouble as he approached.

“Hello there, stranger,” the man pleasantly greeted him. “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you around these parts before.”

“I just arrived in town. My name is Richard,” he politely said, his muscles coiled tight and ready to react if necessary. He didn’t want any trouble. He only had trouble planned for one person in particular.

“Well then welcome to the town of D’Hara,” the man smiled broadly. “My name is Chase. I’m the sheriff in this town. What brings you here?”

“I’m looking for someone,” he hesitantly replied.

“Anyone in particular I can help you find?”

“No…thank you,” he quickly said, not wanting to give away too much information just yet. He didn’t know if the sheriff was someone he could trust or not. He hoped so, though. He found that he immediately liked the man.

Chase suddenly slapped Richard’s back, flashing him another smile. “Well, you need anything at all, you can usually find me right over there,” Chase told him, pointing a thumb over his shoulder to the building behind him. “I must warn you, though. D’Hara can be a very dangerous town. Watch yourself. I’d hate for anything to happen to you while you’re here.”

“Thank you, I will, Sheriff,” Richard found himself smiling in return despite himself.

“Please, call me Chase,” he insisted as he began to walk away. “Let me know if you need anything.”

“I will, Chase,” he said, instantly feeling relaxed in the sheriff’s presence.

Making his way towards his destination, Richard could begin to hear music and laughter pouring out onto the street. He could see light coming from a large building at the end of the road, spilling out in to evening’s growing dimness. A large sign hung above, swinging gently in the humid evening air.

He paused outside the saloon doors, fighting back the anger that still burned like liquid flames in his heart. Losing control would not bring him the satisfaction that he had been seeking for months now.

It had been over six weeks ago that it had happened and the wound was still so fresh that he could hardly draw a breath at times.

Swallowing his pain, Richard pushed through the swinging doors to find the Inn crowded. Tables were full of men gambling and drinking, smoking and laughing. A think cloud of smoke hung in the air as scantily clad women moved about the room, hanging on male patrons and enticing them with what they had to offer.

As he scanned the room, a hand suddenly touched him, lightly stroking up his arm. He turned to find himself staring into bright green eyes, her hand beginning to caress the back of his neck.

“Hi there, handsome,” she seductively purred, pressing herself up against him. “My name is Cara. What’s yours?”

“I’m not interested,” he tightly replied, keeping his gaze hard like his heart.

“You might not be yet, but I can assure you that you will be before the night is over,” she murmured in his ear, leaning in and caressing the lobe with her tongue.

He turned his head to stare at her for a long hard moment. While beautiful, she was definitely not his type. Besides, he had important business to see to and finding love was not one of them.

“Who do you see about getting a room…alone?” he asked, an edge to his voice.

“Zedd, the man behind the bar over there,” Cara told him as she continued to play with the long strands of hair that rested against his neck. “He’ll be able to get you a room.”

“Thank you,” Richard coolly replied as he began to walk away.

Cara quickly captured his hand, pulling him back and taking him by surprise. “Let me know if you change your mind, handsome. The nights can get a little…chilly…around here. I’d be more than happy to keep you warm.”

Richard watched as she slowly dragged her tongue across her red lips. “I’m sure I’ll survive just fine, but thank you for the offer just the same.”

Cara watched with great disappointment as he made his way around crowded tables towards the bar. Her eyes roamed over his muscular form, the way his pants hugged his posterior.

“Cara, he’s asking you,” a petite brunette came to tell her.

Cara sighed heavily. It would be a long night spent in the company of that beast, but this was her lot in life unless a handsome man swept into her life and rescued her. She ran her fingers through the blond curls that trailed down her bare back before turning and heading towards the man that sat at the back table. 

It was going to be a very long, very unpleasant night indeed.

Thankfully no one else seemed to pay him much attention as they gambled and drank, their boisterous laughter and cursing rumbling loudly through the room. A tall man with shoulder length white hair stood behind the bar drying glasses with a dingy looking towel.

He greeted Richard with a warm smile as he neared, immediately setting him at ease. There was something grandfatherly in his demeanor, a genuineness in his smile that reminded Richard of his own grandfather.

“Good evening,” Zedd greeted him cheerfully. “What can I get you to drink this fine evening, friend?”

“Whatever you have that’s cold,” Richard replied. “Also, I’m going to need a room for a couple of nights at least.”

“With or without company?”

“Excuse me?”

“I saw Miss Cara greeting you before you barely got two steps in the door,” Zedd smirked at him.

“Oh no…I’m alone,” he shook his head.

“I see,” Zedd nodded. “Not many men turn down Miss Cara. Have a girl back home?”

“No, there’s no one back home anymore,” he softy admitted.

Seeing his sudden sadness, Zedd quickly changed the subject as he handed him a mug. “So what brings you to D’Hara, ur…what’s your name?”

“Richard and it’s personal business,” he said, taking a sip of his drink.

“Where are you from, Richard?”

“Hartland,” he told him, suddenly lost in his thoughts as he stared at his drink.

“You’re a long way from home, my boy,” Zedd frowned. “Must be pretty important business to bring you over this way.”

Turning his back to the bar, Richard allowed his gaze to slowly sweep across the room, hoping to spot the reason for his trip to D’Hara. “It’s very important.”

Zedd set the glass down that he was drying, leaning forward and keeping his voice very low. “Be very careful around here. You seem like a nice young man. I’d hate to see you getting caught up in any trouble while you’re here.”

Richard kept his gaze on the crowded room before him. “What makes this place so dangerous?” he absentmindedly asked.

“Darken Rahl,” Zedd said, his voice full of ominous warning.

Richard felt the hair immediately prickle on the back of his neck, gooseflesh forming on his arms despite the humid evening air. He did his best to keep his face impassive despite the rage that was suddenly pumping through his veins.

“Who is this Darken Rahl?” he asked, keeping his voice even.

“The devil incarnate,” he sneered.

Richard turned back to face him, witnessing the fear that flashed through the bartender’s eyes. “Why is he the devil?” he asked as he turned back to the raucous scene, his attention unexpectedly captured by someone exiting a room on the second floor.

He watched a beautiful woman as she walked across the second floor balcony, her fingers lightly trailing along the wooden railing. The air suddenly vanished from his lungs as she turned, slowly making her way down the winding staircase.

Her hair was the color of a raven’s wing, curled and pulled up at the sides. She wore a form-fitting crimson dress lined in black lace that accentuated her every curve and allowing a generous view of her creamy breasts. The skirt was hiked up high on one of her thighs revealing her long legs. 

Even from where he stood, he could tell that her eyes were the brightest shade of blue he’d ever seen, reminding him of the bluest sky. Her lips were painted red, a sad smile gracing her face as she took in the crowd. There was an air of grace and sensuality about her that made his pulse race and yet there was an overwhelming sense of sadness that seemed to encompass her.

She seemed so incongruent to her surroundings, so out of place in this den of wickedness. She was like the beautiful diamond hiding in the dark depths of a filthy coal mine.

Zedd watched his new friend with great amusement, the look of desire that suddenly filled his face putting a smirk on his lips. Even though Miss Cara had struck out, he had a feeling Richard had just found one to his liking.

“That would be Miss Kahlan,” Zedd informed him, leaning on the bar once more, his arms crossed before him.

“Kahlan,” Richard softly murmured her name almost curiously, the picture now complete that he knew her name.

He couldn’t tear his eyes off of her as she moved about the room, capturing the attention of almost every other man in the room who was not otherwise preoccupied with the countless other saloon girls. To him, all the others paled mightily in comparison to her.

As if sensing something, she suddenly paused, looking up to find him staring at her. In that intense moment, Richard felt as if his heart had stopped beating, the entire room and everyone in it suddenly falling away. There was only the two of them in the whole world.

She smiled at him, one that warmed him clear to his toes, his breaths coming faster. She shyly looked away, her gaze falling under his intense scrutiny before finally meeting his gaze once more. They stared at each other for the longest moment, she seemingly as captivated as he.

A petite brunette came to stand beside her, gripping her elbow and breaking the magical moment. Kahlan’s face went pale as the woman whispered something in her ear. She nodded her head to whatever was said to her, her hands nervously smoothing over her dress.

She quickly turned away, clearly frightened about something as she seemed to be swallowed up by the crowds. He tried to follow her with his eyes as she made her way to the other side of the large room, but lost sight of her. He felt his stomach tighten, knowing that she was in some sort of trouble.

“I’d be careful with that one, my friend,” Zedd told him, interrupting Richard’s anxious thoughts.

“What? Why?” he asked, turning his attention back to the barkeep.

“She belongs to Darken Rahl.”

“What do you mean ‘belongs’?” his gaze darkening with fury.

“She’s the new property of Darken Rahl,” Zedd replied. “She just arrived here two days ago, betrothed to be married to Master Rahl.”

“Married?” he gasped.

“Yes, but I’m afraid it’s against that poor girl’s will,” he shook his head in pity. “Her despicable father sold her to Rahl for a very handsome sum then took off out of town to start a new life leaving her behind to be at Rahl’s mercy.”

Richard could scarcely believe what he was hearing, his anger burning hotter by the moment. “Her own father?”

“Afraid so,” he grimly nodded, tisking softly to himself. “Poor thing. Has no say in the matter either. Rahl makes her strut around here in that revealing dress, showing her off like a prize pet to all the men, but no one dares touch her. If anyone even thinks of laying a finger on her, Rahl will have them killed immediately.”

Richard could barely control the rage that trembled through him with what he was hearing, his hand finding his revolver. No wonder she seemed so out of place here. She was like an angel dropped from heaven forced to dwell among heathens.

He frantically scanned the room again, needing to find her, to make sure that she was alright. He couldn’t bear the thought of her being at that horrible monster’s mercy like that or to be ogled at by these filthy men. He needed to help her.

Despite Zedd’s words, Richard couldn’t help but want to know more about her, to meet her. She had so captured his attention that he knew he’d never be free from the sudden hold she had on him. And to tell the truth, he wasn’t sure that he wanted to be free anymore.

\----------

Kahlan did her best to keep her hands from trembling, but it was difficult knowing that he was calling for her. Since coming here two days ago, she’d done everything she could think of to keep him at bay, going so far as making him wait until their wedding night to take her to his bed.

He had surprisingly gone along with it much to her great relief, but the vile way he leered at her made her wonder just how long his promise would actually last. She had a terrible feeling that he wouldn’t be waiting until they were married in three days.

Kahlan swallowed back the tears that suddenly burned in her throat as she made her way to his table. She would survive this no matter what. No one could take away who she was on the inside no matter what he took from her body. Despite his numerous thugs that kept a close eye on her, she would one day find a way to escape and when she did, she’d never look back.

Looking out over the room teeming with drunken chaos, she looked for the handsome man who had caught her attention just a few moments ago. She had felt as though someone was watching her. When she had looked up, she had found herself staring into the most arresting warm brown eyes she’d ever seen.

A flutter suddenly erupted in the pit of her stomach all over again as she remembered how he had stared so intently at her, so unlike the way the other men in the saloon ogled her. There was something different about, something so captivating. He had stirred her blood like no one she had ever known before.

While she was desperate to see him again, she knew in her heart that it was pointless. Darken Rahl was to be her husband and no one or nothing could ever change that.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My very first AU fic! Team Seeker and gang set in the Wild Wild West. Hope you enjoy the adventure!

Chapter 2

Kahlan wound her way around tables full of drunken laughter and lewd remarks directed at her, causing the tips of her ear to burn fire red. She kept her face emotionless despite the sea of faces undressing her with their eyes and licking their lips with lustful desire. She was not about to let anyone see her fear or her dread.

Besides, her father had forced her into doing things that still haunted her sleep, terrible things that she would never be able to run away free. She would survive this life that she had been condemned to, hopefully escaping it someday soon.

A sudden hand gripping her arm jerked her to an abrupt stop. She was just as quickly pulled into a man’s lap, his lecherous arms snaking firmly around her waist and holding her fast. His dirt smudged face was suddenly mere inches from hers, his foul breath immediately making her nauseous.

“Let me go,” she angrily demanded, fighting to break free from the man’s iron hold on her.

“Now come on, Miss,” he suddenly grinned, exposing his missing two front teeth. “Wouldn’t you like to have a little fun with me?”

His grimy hand skimmed up her side before firmly grasping hold of her breast. With a growl, she struck him hard across the face, the force of the slap doing nothing but encourage him all the more.

“Got me a feisty one here tonight, boys!” he hollered with excitement before kissing her hard.

Before Kahlan could react further, she was suddenly being hauled out of the man’s lap and onto her feet, an arm wrapping around her shoulders.

“The lady said no. You best respect her wishes.”

Kahlan turned to find herself staring into those chestnut brown eyes that had so surprisingly captured her attention just moments earlier. His powerful jaw was set tight, his gaze blazing with anger. His arm wrapped so protectively around her shoulders unexpectedly felt so safe, like being home. She suddenly didn’t want him to ever let go of her.

The drunken man bolted to his feet in rage, knocking his chair backwards onto the floor with a loud crash. “And what do you plan on doing to stop me?” the man roared.

Richard immediately pushed Kahlan behind him, putting himself between her and the drunken beast before him. His hand fell to his revolver at his hip. He didn’t want to use it unless absolutely necessary, but he would do what he had to.

“Sit down, Ike!” his friend sitting at the table told him. “You know we can’t touch her anyway. She belongs to Rahl.”

Ike stood glowering at Richard and Kahlan, his chest heaving, his glassy eyed glare full of anger. “This isn’t over,” he growled before turning and storming out.

“Are you alright?” Richard gently asked as he turned to face her, his breath hitching with the intensity of her beauty.

“Yes…thank you,” she murmured, her heart pounding for a completely different reason now.

He was even more handsome than she had first thought, the compassion that filled his eyes stealing her breath away. No one had ever had such a powerful affect on her, capturing her attention quite like this.

“Did he hurt you?”

Even the sound of his voice full of such concern for her caused a sense of comforting warmth to pulsate through her veins. Staring into those eyes, she found it difficult to form a response.

“I’ve survived worse,” she softly admitted.

Her response caused his anger to suddenly flare in his core. What had she been forced to endure in her life? There was such a kindness and warmth shining in those beautiful blue depths that he found he didn’t want to look away. Who would ever want to cause her harm?

“What’s going on here? Is everything okay?”

Richard and Kahlan both turned at the sound of the booming gruff voice. “It’s fine, Demmin,” Kahlan sighed heavily, disappointed that she had been found so soon. She wanted to spend more time with this man who had so bravely come to her rescue.

“What happened?” he frowned.

“One of the customers got too frisky and this kind gentleman came to my rescue,” Kahlan explained, turning her attention back to her hero. “I’m sorry. I don’t even know your name to properly thank you.”

“Richard Cypher,” he smiled softly, happy that she finally knew his name.

“Thank you for helping me, Richard,” she smiled in response. “My name is Kahlan Amnell.”

Richard felt his heart melt as the smile that she had given him the moment their eyes had first met suddenly touched her lips again. He readily decided that he’d fight every man in this dreadful town just for the chance to see that beautiful smile directed at him again.

“Not for long it’s not,” Demmin smirked, folding his arms across his broad chest. “In three days, you’ll soon be Kahlan Rahl so you better get used to it.”

Richard watched as great sorrow suddenly flooded her face, the bright sparkle that had been in her eyes when she had looked at him abruptly vanishing. Tears shined in her eyes but she quickly forced them away, her face hardening with acceptance for the fate that could not be avoided.

His hands instinctively balled tightly into fists in an effort to keep from hitting the brute who was roughly taking Kahlan by the arm now, dragging her away from him. He wanted to stop him, to keep her from marrying Darken Rahl. He wanted to save her from such a horrible future as what loomed ahead for her now.

“Come,” Demmin snapped. “He’s waiting for you and you know he does not like to be kept waiting especially by you.”

Kahlan looked back over her shoulder at Richard as Demmin dragged her away. She could see the anger simmering in his intense brown eyes. It caused a shiver to race through her.

Richard took a step towards her as Kahlan looked helplessly back at him. He wanted to go after her, but there was nothing he could do at that moment in a crowded saloon full of drunken men looking for a fight. Rahl’s men would kill him before he even got halfway to her. No, there had to be another way. And he would find it.

A sudden hand on his arm broke through the hazy fog of anger that had gripped him. Bristling, he turned to find Cara standing beside him again. He released a sigh of frustration.

“I told you I don’t want any company tonight,” he bit out through clenched teeth as he watched Kahlan being swallowed up by the crowds.

“Yes, you do,” Cara smirked. “You want her company, but you can’t have Kahlan. She’s Darken Rahl’s personal property.”

“I heard,” he tightly said, his heart suddenly feeling heavier than when he had first arrived in town.

“Well evidently you don’t hear well enough,” she shot back. “You best be forgetting about her unless you like the idea of losing your head…or worse.”

“There has to be a way of saving her from having to marry that mad man,” he told her, leveling a heated glare at her.

“I wish there was, but Darken Rahl is very powerful, runs most of the territory,” Cara softly said, her green eyes darting anxiously about to make sure they weren’t being overheard. “We all want out from under his thumb, but it’s futile. He’s a tyrant and nothing is ever going to change that.”

Richard appraised her for a long moment, suddenly noticing for the first time the faint purplish bruises that marred her arms. “What happened to you?” he asked with a frown.

“Darken Rahl,” she whispered, caressing his neck again as if trying to coax him to bed her. “The things that he does to his women would make you want to vomit.”

“I’m sorry,” he shook his head in frustration, his fear for Kahlan suddenly swelling like a thunderhead. “Why don’t you run away?”

“To where?” she shrugged. “He’s got eyes all over this territory, his control far reaching.”

“What about the Midlands? Westland?”

Her eyes grew distant as she thought about being free from this life. “That requires money and I have none.”

“Doesn’t he pay you to work here?”

Cara laughed at his innocence, his naiveté almost refreshing in a way, even endearing. “No one gets paid to work for Darken Rahl. He either owns you or you owe him.”

Richard felt his anger hardening, his resolve to fix this intensifying. Darken Rahl needed to be stopped before he ruined any more lives, before he could hurt Kahlan. He couldn’t live with himself if he didn’t try to stop the madness that consumed this town.

He didn’t know why he felt such a powerful draw to this woman, but he knew that he had to help her, to save her from the life that her wicked father had condemned her to. Despite his own reasons for being here, he knew with all his heart that he was meant to come here to help Kahlan as well. 

“That’s going to change if I have anything to say about it,” he fumed, his eyes still searching for where Kahlan had disappeared among the throngs of people still bustling about.

Cara felt a spark of hope with his words, but understood the futility of it. “Many have tried, but no one has ever succeeded.”

“Until now,” Richard calmly replied. 

XXX

Kahlan was shoved down into a chair right beside her future husband. He gave her a wicked grin that only made her skin crawl, his dark thoughts so obvious in his lustful gaze that roamed over her. She kept her face an impassive mask as she smoothed out her skirt, her focus on anything but him.

She looked about the boisterous setting around her, searching for just a glimpse of Richard. He had been so brave sweeping in like he had, rescuing her from that horrible letch. Ike had had his eyes on her since she had first arrived here, not even attempting to hide his vulgar thoughts. She could see it dancing in his eyes every time he looked at her. It was only a matter of time before he got what he wanted.

A hand on her thigh casually brushing her skirt higher drew her back to the reality of her horrifying life. She bristled with his touch, swallowing back the bile that rose in the back of her throat. She had no idea how she was ever going to survive a night with him when his touch on her leg alone made her ill.

“You look positively radiant tonight, my dear Kahlan,” he drawled, leaning in to brush his lips against her cheek. “I may have you parade around the room again to show you off to everyone.”

Kahlan ground her teeth, forcing herself to remain motionless when all she wanted to do was run…run straight into Richard’s arms. She didn’t even know the man and yet there was something so familiar about him, something so perfect when she was near him. It was like she had always known him somehow.

“There was an incidence again,” Demmin informed him as he came to stand on Darken Rahl’s other side.

“Who wanted my prize this time?” Rahl demanded to know as he stroked Kahlan’s hair, leaning in to tease her earlobe.

“I didn’t get a chance to see who it was,” he regretfully said.

“Who was it, my pretty?” he asked, suddenly grasping her hair tightly in his fist and bending her head to force her to look at him.

“Ike…it was Ike,” she said, fighting back tears with the painful hold he had on her hair.

Rahl pressed his lips hard against hers, savoring her sweetness before finally releasing his hold on her. “Well, it seems that Ike and I need to have a little talk about keeping his hands off of my property.”

“Want me to send the boys after him? Teach him a lesson?”

“Not tonight,” Rahl replied, holding up a hand to stop him. “I have other plans for you tonight.”

“What’s that?”

“I need you to take your men and ride out to Michael Cypher’s ranch,” Rahl instructed him, turning his attention back to his right hand man. “He has something that I want and I need you to retrieve it.”

Hearing the name, Kahlan stiffened. It was Richard’s last name as well. It couldn’t be a coincidence that he was here now, that a relative of his lived in the area. She felt her heart sink at the thought of Richard being tangled up in one of Darken Rahl’s scandalous plans. It was so incongruous with what she had seen residing in his eyes, the way that he had come to her rescue.

But she really didn’t know the man at all.

Kahlan felt her hope vanishing, her heart breaking. She didn’t know why. She had no real connection with Richard, knew nothing about him except for his name. It wasn’t like he had any ties to her, any claim to her. She belonged to Darken Rahl, would be forced into marrying him in three more days.

Nothing was going to save her from that fate and yet she found her heart sprouting wings every time she thought of Richard, pictured his handsome face and soulful eyes in her mind. It was like she had found her other half.

She silently berated herself. She was sounding crazy even to her. How could she be falling for someone she didn’t even know, had barely just met? It was ludicrous to say the least. And yet she couldn’t help but feel that Richard had felt it too, experienced the electricity that had filled the very air around them when their eyes had first met, their souls becoming one in that instant.

She had never truly believed in the notion of love at first sight, but after meeting Richard tonight she found herself considering the possibility of it being true.

“The crates will be in his barn,” Rahl told Nass. “You’ll need at least ten of your men to retrieve them and get them back here.”

“What’s in it?”

Rahl shot him a deadly glare that caused Nass to immediately recoil. “We’ll discuss it when I have it,” he hissed.

“Yes, sir,” Nass muttered under his breath.

“Now go!” Rahl ordered. “You have plenty to do to keep you out of any more trouble tonight.”

Kahlan didn’t know what was going on, but she was determined to find out if Richard was involved or not. She didn’t know why, but she needed to know. Why did she suddenly care so much? The knowledge wasn’t going to change her future any, but there was just something inside of her that had to know if the powerful connection she felt with him was real or not.

If he was not who he appeared to be, if he was just another monster like Darken Rahl, then she would resign herself to the fact that her life was essentially over and her fate sealed. 

But if he was genuine and felt that same thrilling connection with her…then maybe, just maybe her future wasn’t as settled as she had first believed.

Kahlan felt her chest tighten as she caught sight of him just then. He was making his way up the stairs and across the second floor balcony. She found herself unable to look away as she watched him enter a room in the corner right next door from hers.

XXX

Richard closed the door behind him, dropping his pack on the floor as he looked around the room at his sparse surroundings. A feeling of loneliness suddenly crept over him despite the noise from downstairs that still managed to slip through the closed door.

He leaned back, resting his head against the door. His eyes fell closed, fatigue pulling heavily on his body and threatening to drag him to the floor. He wearily rubbed his face with his hands, his thoughts still preoccupied with the beautiful woman downstairs.

It was strange to have his mind suddenly filled with thoughts other than revenge and the heartache that had consumed him for so long now. It was a pleasant reprieve from the sorrow that had been eating away at him for the last month and a half.

Thoughts of Kahlan while sweetly pleasant also carried a heavy dose of fear for her. God only knew what was going on right now with her, what could be happening to her at that moment…tonight. He tried not to think about it, but he couldn’t help it.

She had captured not only his attention, but his heart if that was even possible. He knew it was crazy, but he felt as though he was falling in love. He shook his head against the notion, knowing how absurd it sounded.

He didn’t even know her, didn’t know more than her name, but there was just something about her that felt so familiar, so right. It was like there was some subconscious part of him that had somehow always known about her and had just now discovered that the other half of his soul truly existed.

Even though he barely knew her, Kahlan was more real to him than anything or anyone he had ever known and he didn’t want to let her go. He found he wanted her in his life, to know everything there was to know about her.

Making his way to the window, he opened it wide, allowing the fresh summer air in. He breathed deeply, inhaling the outdoors that he loved so much. He didn’t like being held up inside like this when he could be sleeping beneath the stars, but he had no choice.

He had come here for a reason and he intended to see it through to the end.

Walking over to the night stand, he dipped his hands in the water, running it over his face. He leaned over the bowl, hanging his head and allowing the water to drip from his chin. The heavy weight that he had been carrying had expanded tonight to now include Kahlan.

He couldn’t just allow her to be married to that vile monster, knowing the future that awaited her. Even if she didn’t share that same spark of longing that he had felt for her, he couldn’t just stand by and condemn her to such a horrific fate.

Even if she never felt anything for him, he could at least live a happier life knowing that she was safe.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My very first AU fic! Team Seeker and gang set in the Wild Wild West. Hope you enjoy the adventure!

Chapter 3

Richard made his way through the bustling streets of town, anxious to find what he needed. He had spent weeks in pursuit of information, plotting and planning for the moment that was hopefully fast approaching. He could practically taste it. 

And yet, it could not come fast enough.

All of his searching had led him here, to his town, this moment in time…and to her. He would not be denied what he had longed for what felt like an eternity to him to find.

His brooding mood had only darkened with no sign of Kahlan anywhere so far. He had hoped to see her when he had left his room this morning. Unfortunately, she wasn’t at the saloon. She didn’t seem to be anywhere.

Zedd had told him that Miss Cara and a couple of Darken Rahl’s men had escorted Kahlan from the saloon early this morning before he had woken, but he’d had no idea why or where they were taking her. It had done little to settle Richard’s worry knowing she was in the hands of Rahl’s men, but at least Cara was with her.

There was something about the blond-haired saloon girl that he liked. He felt as though he could trust her for some reason, that she wanted out of the hell that Rahl had created as much he wanted Kahlan out of there. Theirs was a friendship forged through a common goal.

Taking his hat off, Richard raked his fingers back through his long hair before replacing it once more. He needed to take care of business before he could help Kahlan, but he couldn’t help the gut feeling that his situation was somehow connected with hers in some sort of way.

And everything seemed to be pointing to Darken Rahl.

Not knowing where Kahlan was at that moment was beginning to drive him crazy. He didn’t like not knowing what was happening to her. He tried to force his fear for her aside as he entered the jail in search of the sheriff.

Entering, Richard found Chase sitting with his chair tipped back against the wall, his legs crossed in front of him on top of his desk. He was whistling softly to himself as he cleaned his gun. In fact, he seemed to be cleaning his entire gun collection as Richard stared at the wide assortment of shotguns, rifles, and revolvers that covered the desk. It appeared as if the sheriff was going off to fight a war of some kind.

“Morning,” Chase warmly greeted him with a broad smile.

“Morning, Chase,” Richard smiled back as he sat down in a chair opposite the sheriff.

“How has your stay in D’Hara been so far?”

“Interesting,” Richard finally replied after a long moment. 

“There’s never a dull moment around here,” Chase admitted with a sudden sigh. “I’m kept on my toes pretty much all the time much to my wife Emma’s dismay.”

“How so?”

“Darken Rahl,” Chase replied with a sudden sneer. “Most vile piece of filth you’ll ever find in these parts. Best steer clear from him at all cost.”

“Why do you stay here then?”

“Been my home all my life,” he said, running a cloth over the barrel of his gun. “Besides, people need someone they can trust and count on around here. I’m not always able to do a lot, but I like to think what little I can do hopefully counts for something.”

Richard felt himself relax with Chase’s words, relieved to know he was not in with Rahl. He found that he really liked Chase, hoped that the sheriff be able to help him out. He needed a friend now more than ever.

“I’m sure you do a lot more good than you think,” he told him, removing his hat and tossing it onto the desk.

Pausing what he was doing, Chase studied him for a long moment, his intent gaze seeming to probe him. “Richard, what brings you to D’Hara?” he finally asked, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. “I hope it doesn’t involve what I think it involves.”

“And what do you think it involves?” Richard cagily asked, leaning forward in his chair to rest his forearms on his knees.

“I don’t know. You tell me,” Chase frowned. “You seem like a good person, Richard. I’d hate for you to get caught up in more than you can handle around here.”

“Well, that’s partly why I came here to talk to you,” Richard replied. “My brother lives around here somewhere and I think that he’s gotten himself involved in something dangerous.”

“Who’s your brother?”

“Michael Cypher,” he said, studying the sheriff’s face for his reaction.

Chase drew a deep breath before releasing it as he finally pulled his legs from the desk and placed his boots back onto the floor. Sitting forward in his chair, he tossed his rag onto the table, placing his revolve into his holster. He folded his hands, resting them on his desk before finally responding.

“Michael’s your brother?” he quietly asked.

“Yes,” Richard simply said. “But I haven’t seen him in over two years at least. Left Hartland to make his fortune in D’Hara. Haven’t heard from him since.”

“I see,” Chase replied, weighing his words. “And what brings you here looking for your brother now?”

Chase watched as the man before him suddenly became rigid, his whole body tensing. His brown eyes flashed with anger, his jaw clenching and unclenching.

“My father was killed…over six weeks ago,” he evenly said despite his heartache. “I came to tell him.”

“Is that the only reason?”

Richard swallowed hard, averting his gaze. “No,” he softly admitted.

“What happened to your father, Richard?”

“I came home to find him dead…beaten and hanging from a tree,” Richard finally told him, fighting back the anguish that threatened to cut off air. “His abdomen had been ripped open, his entrails spilling out of him. Animals had begun feeding on him by the time I found him.”

“I’m truly sorry, Richard,” Chase told him, his brow furrowed. “Any idea who could have done it?”

“I have some idea, but I came here looking for proof,” he cautiously said. 

“You think your brother had something to do with your father’s murder?”

“I don’t know…maybe,” he shook his head. “We had heard rumors that Michael had done very well here and I have to wonder how. What exactly did he get himself into that he could suddenly afford a large ranch, be worth so much money?”

“Darken Rahl,” Chase replied.

“That was my guess,” Richard confirmed. “I’ve been gathering as much information as I can about what Darken Rahl and my brother could be up to.”

“And what have you come up with?”

“Sheriff!” a man yelled as he entered. “Got trouble brewing down at the Wilson’s farm.”

“Those boys at it again?” Chase asked, standing to his feet and grabbing a rifle.

“Afraid so,” the man grimly replied.

“Richard, this my deputy Thaddeus,” Chase introduced as he grabbed his hat and placed it on his head. “Don’t do anything rash. We have much to talk about. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”

Richard stood to his feet, following the sheriff and his deputy outside to their waiting horse. “I’m staying at the Keeper’s Inn. I’ll most likely be there.”

Mounting his horse, Chase nodded his head to his new friend. “Stay here in town and don’t get into any trouble while I’m gone.”

Richard watched as Chase and his deputy rode off out of town in a thick cloud of dust, wondering what the sheriff knew about Michael and his involvement with Darken Rahl. He had a bad feeling it wasn’t anything good.

XXX

Kahlan slowly buttoned the dress, her fingers almost trembling as she fastened the last of the pearl buttons. She couldn’t believe she was doing this, her life…her future sold by her father to a brute like Darken Rahl.

She fought back the tears that seemed to linger in her throat despite her best efforts otherwise. She closed her eyes, drawing a deep breath before taking a look at herself in the mirror.

“Kahlan, are you done yet?”

Cara’s voice cut through her grief, forcing her to put one foot in front of the other. She made her way out of the dressing room into the front where Cara waited before a full length mirror. The expression on her new friend’s face told it all.

“You look beautiful, Kahlan,” Cara smiled. “That’s the prettiest dress I’ve ever seen.”

“You really think so?” she softly asked.

Kahlan didn’t know why she bothered asking. She really didn’t care what dress she wore or what she looked like on her wedding day. It was a wedding she didn’t want, a marriage to a man she loathed. She didn’t know how she was going to be able to walk down the aisle in two days, seeing that smug grin on that tyrant’s face and knowing what would come after when they were finally alone.

Seeing the sorrow in her face, Cara quickly took her hand, pulling her in front of the full length mirror that stood by the large picture window of the dress shop. “I know this isn’t what you want, but you need to make the best of it,” Cara told her. “There is no escaping him. You need to go along with whatever he wants. It’ll be easier on you in the long run.”

“I know,” Kahlan sighed heavily as she glanced out the window.

Staring out the window, she saw Darken Rahl’s two men standing across the street, leaning against a storefront as they waited for her. She couldn’t go anywhere without those two following. They had become her constant shadow. She knew it wouldn’t end even after the wedding.

“I’m going to go see if the veil is done yet,” Cara said before turning to leave her standing all alone.

Kahlan drew a deep breath, her eyes beginning to water as she looked at herself in the mirror. This wasn’t at all how she had pictured her wedding being planned or who she would marry. In fact, none of this seemed real to her at all anymore.

It was as if she was being dragged through a terrible nightmare that she couldn’t wake from. The only good that had come out of any of it was the fact that her father was gone, hopefully forever if she had her way. She hoped she’d never have to see that man ever again.

Running her fingers over the soft satin, Kahlan’s thoughts began to wander to the handsome stranger she had met last night. She couldn’t help the smile that suddenly touched her lips as she pictured him in her mind’s eye – the intensity of his chestnut eyes, the cut of his jaw and the stubble that lined it, the way he smiled at her.

She found herself imagining what it would be like to marry him instead, to be wearing this dress for him. It warmed her heart, causing her insides of quiver with the thought. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she noticed her cheeks flushed pink.

She couldn’t help it, though. He was the most handsome man she had ever seen, a sense of kindness about him that had touched her heart. He had so bravely stepped in to save her from Ike and he didn’t even know her.

There were so many beautiful saloon girls at the Keeper’s Inn and he seemed to have noticed her…or was she just imagining something that wasn’t really there at all? A hopeful dream to avoid having to deal with the reality that had become her life?

Kahlan found herself wondering where he was at now. Was he thinking of her like she was of him? Did he really find her beautiful or had he just been kind in coming to her aid?

Glancing out the window, she suddenly caught site of his striking stature from across the street. She felt a nervous flutter in the pit of her stomach as she watched abruptly him cross the street, coming towards her. She wanted to look away, to not let him see her, but she found she couldn’t tear her eyes off of him.

There was a fierce determination in his every step, an air of self-assurance that seemed to encompass him. She wondered what had brought him to D’Hara. Had he come looking for something special or was he somehow connected to Darken Rahl?

Just then, Richard looked up, their eyes connecting in that moment. Kahlan felt her legs grow weak as they stared at one another through the glass, the room suddenly becoming very warm. She watched his expression soften as he came to a stop on the other side of the window, his gaze roaming over her and drinking her in.

She shyly looked away, her cheeks warming with embarrassment to be seen in this dress. He would want nothing with her if he knew she was betrothed to another, especially someone like Darken Rahl. Would he ignore her now that he knew she was to be married?

Finally forcing herself to look at him again, Kahlan found him entering the store. She quickly turned back to the mirror, not knowing what to do or say. She nervously ran her fingers over the front of her wedding dress, wishing that she could run away and yet wanting to follow him no matter where he went.

“Hi,” Richard softly said from behind her, wanting to talk to her, but not really knowing what to say.

Walking across the street, he had caught a glimpse of her, his heart immediately pounding at the site of her. Seeing her in a wedding dress was both arousing and frightening at the same time knowing what she was being forced into.

“Hi,” Kahlan replied as she turned to face him, giving him a smile that immediately set his pulse to racing.

“I heard that you were going to be married,” Richard said, taking his hat off, his long brown strands falling to frame his tanned face. “You look beautiful.”

Kahlan bit her bottom lip, her heart warmed by his compliment, her stomach churning knowing that he knew she was betrothed to be married. She silently chided herself for even thinking that something could possibly ever happen with the handsome man standing before her now. Her future had been decided by her father against her will and there was absolutely nothing that could be done about it no matter how much her heart wished otherwise.

“Thank you, Richard,” she said, her eyes silently pleading with him to save her from this death sentence.

The sadness that filled her gaze pierced his heart. He found himself moving closer to her, his legs moving of their own accord. He came to a stop a couple of feet from her, the air suddenly vanishing from his lungs. She was so radiant to behold that he ached to touch her, to hold her, but he didn’t dare.

She felt herself flush with growing desire, her heart pounding with his sudden nearness. “Thank you again for coming to my rescue last night.”

“I couldn’t just sit back and let him hurt you.”

His gaze was so intense, so full of emotion; Kahlan found she had to look away for a moment to catch her breath. “What brings you to D’Hara?”

“I’m looking for my brother.”

Kahlan’s heart sank with his words, fearing he was just as wicked as Darken Rahl or somehow wrapped up in whatever it was that her soon to be husband was involved in. Whatever it was, she knew it wasn’t good. She wanted to stop him, but didn’t know how.

“Oh…I see,” she murmured, fiddling with the satin ribbon that adorned her waist.

“His name is Michael Cypher,” Richard told her, sensing her sudden apprehension. “I haven’t seen him in over two years and had heard that he had a ranch around here.”

Kahlan’s face suddenly brightened somewhat with his words. Maybe he didn’t know what his brother was up to or that he was involved with Darken Rahl. “I’ve heard his name, but I’ve never met him. I have no idea where he lives.”

“I need to see him,” he confessed. “Our father was murdered several weeks ago and I think that he may know who could have done it.”

“Oh, Richard,” she replied, her hand finding his arm as sadness filled her face. “I’m so sorry to hear that.”

The feel of her hand on his arm caused his heart to stutter in his chest. He swallowed hard as he fought to keep his composure when all he wanted to do was kiss her at that moment. “I appreciate that,” he softly said.

“Do you have any idea who did it?”

“I have some ideas, but I need proof first. That’s the other reason why I’m here.”

“I wish there was something I could do to help you,” she told him, squeezing his arm affectionately.

“I hear you have enough trouble of your own without having to carry mine too,” he replied, his voice laced with worry.

“You…you know about that?” she asked, her hand abruptly slipping from his arm.

Without a second thought, Richard immediately captured her hand securely in his. “Do you want to marry Darken Rahl?”

“No, of course not, but…” Kahlan adamantly shook her head, surprised that he would even need to ask her.

“You two had better break it up,” Cara suddenly interrupted, coming out from her hiding place in the dressing room where she’d been watching them. They turned to find her pointing out the window to Darken Rahl’s two men headed their way.

“I want to see you again, Kahlan,” Richard heatedly said, not willing to release her hand just yet.

“You need to leave…now!” Cara ordered, pulling on Richard’s arm. “You can escape out the back, but you need to go now before they get their hands on you.”

Kahlan and Richard stared into each other’s eyes a moment longer, silently saying what each other was too afraid at that moment to say out loud. He finally released her hand before making his way to Cara.

“Look out for her,” he softly told Cara, casting one last look at Kahlan, the smile that she seemed to only give him on her lips just before he disappeared into the back.

“Thank you, Cara,” Kahlan said, doing her best to rein in her heart.

“Just don’t get your hopes up,” she frowned. “No one has been able to stop Darken Rahl…at least not yet.”

“And where’d that man go that was just in here?” the first man groused as he burst through the door.

“I don’t know,” Cara said. “He was looking for someone and then left out the back.”

“Well, hurry it up,” he snapped. “We don’t have all day.”

“Just go back across the street,” Cara scowled. “We’ll be out soon.”

Both men huffed and grumbled obscenities under their breath, something about being forced to babysit two women when they had real work that needed to be done. The door slammed behind them, nearly breaking the glass in it.

Kahlan followed Cara to the back to get changed out of her wedding dress, her heart suddenly lighter than it had been that morning now that she had gotten to see Richard.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My very first AU fic! Team Seeker and gang set in the Wild Wild West. Hope you enjoy the adventure!

Chapter 4

He had wandered around town most of the day, discreetly asking questions and gathering as much information about Darken Rahl as he could. He could not finish what he had begun until he had the proof that he needed.

Throughout the day, Richard’s thoughts had never strayed very far from her though. His heart was fraught with worry for her, desperation to find a way to save her growing as the day had worn on.

He also hadn’t been able to get the image of her in that wedding dress out of his mind. She had been absolutely breathtaking to behold, robbing him of his ability to draw a breath. She had looked like an angel, the embodiment of everything that was pure and good in the world.

Kahlan had seemed genuinely upset at first, almost ashamed that he knew that she was betrothed to be married. Was it because she was beginning to have feelings for him as well or because she was to be married to Darken Rahl?

The thought caused a warmth to suddenly stir in his core. He knew that he was already feeling something very powerful for her, more than he had ever felt for another. The thought of her marrying another man inflamed his jealousy; the fact that it was Darken Rahl awakened his rage.

He needed to find out everything he could about him, finding proof of his involvement in his father’s murder. So far everything that he’d found so far pointed directly to him. He just had to find out why and what Michael had known about it.

His stomach twisted painfully into knots at the thought of his own brother being linked in any way to their father’s murder. It sickened him, but he knew that he had to accept that it was a very real possibility.

Making his way to the stables, Richard was anxious to meet with the sheriff again, to find out what he knew. After returning to town later this afternoon, Chase had invited him to come over to his home for dinner. The sheriff’s eyes had also told him that it was more than just that. They needed to finish the conversation that they’d started that morning.

Finding Renn, Richard flipped him a coin before taking the reins of his horse. “Gratch looks very well taken care of,” he smiled at the boy. “I’ll be back in a little bit. Will you still be around to take care of him when I return?”

“Yes, Richard,” Renn quickly replied, his smile spreading from one freckled cheek to the other.

“Good,” he said as he ruffled the boy’s red hair before mounting his horse. “I’ll see you later tonight then.”

Riding out of town, Richard couldn’t help wondering where Kahlan was, what she was doing at that moment. Was she thinking of him, wondering where he was at?

He hoped that she was, but more than that he hoped that she was safe. If Rahl hurt her or forced himself on her in any way, he wouldn’t wait to find proof of his involvement in his father’s death. He’d tear him to shreds with his bare hands.

Kahlan deserved so much more than she had been forced to endure. He hated to think of what her life with her father had been like before being sold to Darken Rahl. It was no doubt dreadful. Any father who would sell their own daughter just for profit didn’t deserve to be allowed to live. Richard suddenly found he wouldn’t mind getting his hands on him as well for selling her off like he had.

He ached to take her far away from here, to show her a better life. He longed to give her a future filled with nothing but happiness and love, laughter and children. He wanted that life of hers to be spent with him.

He found himself growing more determined than ever to give her that life…if she’d have him.

XXX

Sitting back in his chair, Richard didn’t think that he’d ever had a better meal in all his life. He wiped his mouth with his napkin, holding up a hand to Emma letting her know he was more than full as she tried to pass him another helping of potatoes. It had been a long time since he’d had a meal cooked for him especially one as good as this one had been.

“Emma, that was the best meal I’ve ever had,” he told her. “Thank you for having me in your home.”

“Any time,” she beamed proudly with his compliment. “You are more than welcome to come here any time you’d like, Richard.”

“I appreciate that,” he nodded as he took a drink of water

Chase watched as Emma began clearing the dishes from the table, waiting until she had left the room before talking to Richard about his reasons for coming to D’Hara. Before he could speak, though, Richard had a question of his own.

“How well do you know Kahlan Amnell?”

The question surprised him, taking the sheriff off guard. It wasn’t at all what he had expected his new friend to ask him.

“Well, let me see,” Chase muttered as he thought about it for a moment. “She’s rather new here. Kahlan and her father moved here from Aydindril not long ago. I believe that her mother had died when Kahlan was very young. They had only lived here for a couple of months before her father got tangled up with Darken Rahl.

“Her father was a gambler and a drunk, got himself into some pretty big trouble around here. He racked up a pretty hefty debt at the Keeper’s Inn. Sold his own daughter to pay his debts and to gain a rather large sum of money to start a new life someplace else.

“He left here about a couple of weeks ago or so. Don’t rightly know where he was heading or where he will finally end up,” Chase admitted. “Good riddance, I say.”

“I agree, but what kind of life did he condemn his own daughter to?” Richard scowled, his anger growing hotter the more Chase told him.

“What’s your sudden interest in the Amnell girl?” the sheriff asked, sipping his cup of coffee.

“I just met her last night at the saloon,” he shrugged, trying to pass it off as nothing more than casual interest when in reality it was already so much more than that.

Chase saw right though him, however. “You’re taken with her, aren’t you?” he flashed him a knowing grin.

Richard felt his face grow warm. “What?” he asked with a frown as he fiddled with the napkin in his hands.

“No use lying about it,” Chase continued to smile at him. “It’s written all over your face. You’ve fallen hard, my friend.”

“Is that obvious?”

“I’m afraid so,” he chuckled.

“I think I must be going crazy,” Richard replied with a heavy sigh of heated frustration as he sat forward in his chair, his elbows on the table as he held his head in his hands. “No one falls in love so quickly.”

“Why not?” Chase pressed, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise.”Emma and I fell in love at first sight. We were married less than a month later. That was almost twenty years ago. Still just had madly in love with her now as the first moment I laid eyes on her.”

“That’s right,” Emma agreed as she came in with another pot of hot coffee. “I knew Chase was the man for me the moment I saw him.”

“Then I’m not crazy,” Richard muttered more to himself than to Chase or Emma.

“I don’t know about that,” Chase frowned. “You did fall in love with a girl who is owned by Darken Rahl. The wedding is in two days you know.”

“I know,” Richard sighed heavily. “I have to stop it somehow, keep her from marrying him.”

“Well, like old Zedd always says, nothing is every easy,” Chase shook his head. “You must have it bad if you’re even considering risking your neck to go up against Darken Rahl.”

“I can’t just sit back and let her marry another man especially Rahl,” Richard said, raking his fingers back through his long hair.

“Does she feel the same way about you?”

“I don’t know,” he softly replied, his pulse suddenly racing with the question. “I think so.”

“You need to talk to her before you go risking your life for someone who doesn’t even love you in return.”

Richard sank back in his chair, crossing his long legs out before him. “I know, but even if she doesn’t feel anything for me, I can’t sit back and let her marry that monster. I couldn’t live with myself knowing that she was in constant danger with him.”

“Boy, you do have it bad,” Chase shook his head again. “I hope for your sake you have a good plan on how to rescue her.”

“Well, that’s partly the other reason why I’m here,” he tentatively said. “I was wondering if you had any information that could help me save her.”

“Like what?”

“The best way to escape? How far Rahl’s reach extends in this territory?”

“Rahl’s influence extends far and wide in these parts,” Chase grimly informed him. “There is no escaping him even if you left the territory and moved to the Old World. I’m sure he’d find a way to track the two of you down.”

His eyes fell closed with the sheriff’s words. “That’s what I was afraid you’d say.”

“What’s your other reason for being here, Richard?”

Richard released a deep breath before responding, the heartache of it still so fresh, lingering just beneath the surface. “My father was murdered several weeks ago,” he softly informed him.

“Richard, I’m so sorry…”

“I came home from a long cattle drive to find him hanging from an oak tree, beaten and bloody, his guts hanging out,” he continued, his voice cracking with his anguish. “I’ve been searching for his killer ever since.”

Chase stared at him, his friend’s grief so palpable in that moment. “And your searching brought you here?”

“Yes,” he slowly nodded. “I believe Darken Rahl is behind it. I just don’t know why.”

“Do you think your brother Michael is involved with your father’s murder as well?”

“I don’t know what to think,” Richard suddenly leapt to his feet in heated frustration. “Michael left home over two years ago to make his fortune and we haven’t heard from him since. He felt that our father was foolish for keeping the ranch small and not expanding to make greater profit, but my father wasn’t like that.

“He was always so content with what we had, keeping life simple so he could help our neighbors out when needed. He wasn’t into making lots of money.”

“So what makes you think Michael is involved?”

“I found out in the last town that Michael had some sort of tie with Darken Rahl,” he replied, coming to stand before the fire, resting his forearm on the mantle. “I just don’t know what that connection is yet.

“I heard that Michael was wealthy, had a large ranch outside of town. How would he have been able to make that much money in a little over two years? It doesn’t add up. There’s something more going on, something that I just haven’t uncovered yet.”

“I think I can help you out on that,” Chase said, getting to his feet as well. “I just had to make sure that you weren’t wrapped up with Michael in all of this before I told you what I know.”

Richard turned towards the sheriff in surprise, hopeful that he would finally have the answers that he so desperately needed. “What is it?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“They’re smuggling guns,” Chase told him.

“What?” he gasped. “How do you know?”

“That assortment of rifles and guns on my desk that you saw on my desk this morning? That was confiscated from a couple of Rahl’s thugs. Thaddeus and I caught them with a crate of them the night before. There were several more, but they escaped before we could catch them all.”

“Smuggling guns for what?”

“I’m not entirely certain, but I have my ideas.”

“Like what?”

“I think they’re being filtered through Michael’s ranch before Rahl has them routed to Kelton,” Chase informed him. “I think that he’s arming Kelton with guns so they can take over Aydindril.”

“Why would he be secretly aiding Kelton?”

“Aydindril has been causing Darken Rahl a lot of problems lately,” he said. “The sooner they are wiped out the happier he’ll be.”

Richard could scarcely believe what he was hearing, his mind fighting against what Chase had told him. He didn’t want to believe that Michael could be that deeply involved in something not only illegal, but that could be tied to their own father’s murder.

While him and Michael had never been that close, they were still brothers. Richard had hoped that despite his leaving that Michael still held some place in his heart for his family. Now, he was beginning to think that he never had.

XXX

Lying in his bed, Richard stared at the ceiling, his mind racing with all that had happened today. Nothing made sense to him anymore and yet all the pieces were finally falling into place whether he liked it or not, whether he chose to accept it or deny it.

Either way, there was no escaping the truth. 

Michael was involved with Darken Rahl and therefore their father’s murder. Rahl was about to marry the woman that he loved and there was no way to stop it. He wasn’t even certain that Kahlan shared the feelings he had for her.

He growled under his breath, turning his head to look out the small window. Moonlight streamed inside, casting a soft glow in his room. The Inn had quieted down, the drunks finally having been sent home.

He hadn’t seen Kahlan when he had returned to the Inn from Chase’s home, but Cara had told him that she was alright. He chose to believe her instead of worrying himself crazy and possibly doing something rash.

Lying here now in the quiet of his room, he found he missed her deeply, ached to hold her. He wanted to see for himself that she was alright, needed to know if she felt at all for him what he felt inside for her. If she didn’t, then Rahl may as well just kill him now because he didn’t know if he even wanted to go on in life without her.

His father was dead, his own brother an outlaw. There was no one else in his life, no family left, no home to return to…at least not one that he wanted to return to. The home he’d shared with his father held too many memories, too much pain now.

He wanted to take start a new life somewhere else, maybe in the mountains of Westland. He’d always loved it when he and his father went for hikes in the woods, hunting for food and gathering herbs for medical purposes. 

Richard closed his eyes, his thoughts taking him to a different life, a future that included Kahlan. He allowed himself to imagine what it would be like marrying her, making love to her, raising a family in the mountains together. He pictured her beautiful face, her dark hair like an inky waterfall, the way that the wedding dress had revealed her perfect form, the smile that she seemed to give only to him playing on her lips.

He felt his pulse begin to race, his heart hammering the longer he thought about her. He slightly parted his lips as his breathing became a little more labored, imagining how sweet it would be to kiss her, to bury his hands in her beautiful thick hair.

With a growl of heated frustration that was demanding release, he quickly jumped from his bed, pacing back and forth across his room. He had to do something. He had to see her, talk to her, touch her. He didn’t care what Rahl did to him as long as she was safe. Nothing else mattered to him now, not even getting revenge for his father’s murder that he had wanted for so very long.

Coming to a stop before the window, he grabbed hold of the windowsill as he pressed his forehead against the glass. He felt as though he was about to burst if he didn’t get to see her soon, didn’t get to taste her lips, feel her perfect form in his arms.

Hearing the door suddenly open and close behind him, Richard whirled around, his hand automatically going for his gun to find Kahlan standing there in his room. Dressed in a simple nightdress, he didn’t think that she had ever looked more beautiful to him than she did at that moment. 

A shaft of moonlight cut across her from a nearby window, illuminating her in an ethereal glow. Her cream colored nightdress hinted at the paradise that lay beneath it, stopping above her knees and allowing a generous view of her long legs. Her raven locks fell down her shoulders, caressing the tops of her breasts. 

They just stared at each other for a long tense moment, each fighting the desire that was suddenly storming through them. Kahlan could scarcely believe that she was here in his room. She knew that she shouldn’t be here. She was to be married in two day. She was putting him in great danger by being here with him, but she had needed him, sleep eluding her until she had finally seen him, talked to him…touched him.

She reached behind her, her hand finding the handle of the door as she contemplated leaving, but the way that he was staring at her now caused a shiver of desire to race through her. His eyes were so intense, full of such passion she could hardly draw a breath, his chest beginning to heave.

Before she knew it, he was walking across the room towards her, his strides full of such determination and purpose that she found she was helpless to escape him even if she had wanted to. And then he was suddenly there looming so large and so handsome before her, his hands in her hair and his lips capturing hers in a fiery rush of desire.

Kahlan immediately responded to his kiss, returning it with equal passion as she slid her arms around him. She moaned at the feel of his hardened form suddenly pressing so firmly against hers, his mouth taking her as she dreamed that his body eventually would.

Richard could hardly believe that this was happening, that Kahlan was really here in his room with him. He kissed her like he’d wanted to kiss her since he had met her yesterday; finally unleashing the desire for her that had been brewing inside of him since the moment he had seen her. 

Kissing her, he knew deep in his heart that this was right, that he was finally home. And he never wanted to let her go again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My very first AU fic! Team Seeker and gang set in the Wild Wild West. Hope you enjoy the adventure!

Chapter 5

Richard kissed her passionately, wanting her to stay with him tonight, but he knew that it would only put her in more danger than she was already in. He finally broke the kiss, keeping her close as he pressed his forehead against hers.

“I need to get you out of here…away from Rahl,” he softly panted against her face.

“I want to run away with you more than anything,” she murmured, her hand coming to rest against his cheek. “But there’s no escaping him, Richard. He would kill you if he ever found us.”

“I don’t care,” he heatedly replied. “I want to be with you…marry you.”

“Richard,” she smiled with his words, her heart pounding with the wonderful thought. “I can’t let you die just because of me.”

“And I refuse to let you marry another man,” he firmly stated, his eyes flashing with jealousy. “That would kill me.”

Kahlan kissed him again, caressing the side of his face, the feel of the stubble that lined his jaw rough against the palm of her hand. She never thought that she could ever know love like this, finding it so unexpectedly in a glance like she had last night. It felt like such a wonderful dream, a fantastic reality that was meant for someone else, but not her…never her.

Richard pulled her more fully against him, his lips devouring her and begging for more. He knew that he needed to stop, but he didn’t want to. He wanted her so badly, wanted her to know what he felt so completely in his heart for her already. In the brief time that he had known her, she had so fully seized his attention as well as his heart.

Kahlan suddenly pulled out of the kiss, fear growing with every moment that slipped by that she was here with him. “I’ve already put you in too much danger by being here. I should go before they find out I’m gone.”

“No,” he heatedly said, grabbing hold of her hand. “I’d rather know you were safe here with me than to not know what was happening to you.” He watched as she smiled softly at him, tears suddenly brimming in her eyes. “Are you alright?” he asked as he cupped her face in his hands, confused by her sudden tears.

She bit her bottom lip, nodding softly. “It’s just that…no one has ever truly cared about me except for my mother until she died when I was five years old. No one was ever concerned about what happened to me,” she replied, her voice cracking with emotion.

“Oh, Kahlan,” he swallowed hard, horrified that no one truly cared about this beautiful woman in his arms. “I’m so sorry.”

Richard swiftly pulled her to him, holding her close. He couldn’t believe that someone as amazing as this woman in his arms had been treated so cruelly, had endured a life filled with so much heartache. She deserved so much more than what life had given her. She deserved to know true love…love and a life spent with him.

“I should go,” she suddenly murmured, wiping away her tears as she disentangled herself from his hold on her. “I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you because of me.”

“Please stay…” he begged, seizing hold of her hand again. “Just for a little longer.”

Kahlan went willingly as he began to pull her to his bed, a nervous flutter seizing hold of her. Her cheeks grew warm as she sat on the edge of the bed beside him, wanting so badly for him to hold and kiss her again, but she couldn’t risk it, not when she was to be Darken Rahl’s in two more days.

Richard stared at her for a long moment, completely mesmerized by her beauty, moonlight filtering through the window and surrounding them in its soft radiance. He tentatively reached out and hooked a loose curl behind her ear, his hand lingering against her cheek. She was so soft beneath his touch, so breathtaking as she leaned into the palm of his hand.

“Have you been able to find your brother yet?” she suddenly asked.

“Yes, Chase knows where he is,” he replied, taking her hand in his and brushing his thumb against the back of it. “He’s going to help me find the answers that I need.”

“I’m so glad,” she said with genuine relief. “I’m so sorry about what happened to your father, Richard. I hope that you will find the answers that you need, but especially the peace that you’re looking for.”

“I think I already have,” he softly admitted as he stared into her eyes.

Kahlan dipped her head with a shy smile, averting his intense gaze. “I think I have too,” she whispered.

Richard smiled with her admission, but it quickly turned into a frown. “I’m afraid Michael is up to no good, though. He’s gotten himself involved with Darken Rahl somehow. I think Rahl is behind my father’s murder.”

“It looks like Darken Rahl is bound and determined to ruin both of our lives,” she sadly said.

“I’m not about to let him ruin either of our lives any longer,” he firmly replied. “I’m going to stop him and my brother from causing any more trouble.”

“Be careful, Richard,” she shook her head. “I’m not sure what Michael and Rahl are up to, but last night I heard Rahl sending his men out to your brother’s ranch to pick up some crates. I don’t know what was in them, but it took quite a few men to retrieve them.”

“Did you hear anything else?”

“No, he doesn’t talk much about his plans in front of me,” she told him. “If I hear anything else, I’ll let you know.”

“Please be careful,” he warned her. “If he finds out about us, there’s no telling what he’ll do to you, Kahlan. I couldn’t bear it if he ever hurt you.”

Releasing his hold on her hand, he softly stroked her hair as he stared into her blue eyes full of such longing that he found it near impossible to keep control over his desire for her. He leaned in, kissing her again, his tongue softly caressing hers and eliciting a sultry moan.

Her hand found his face, her thumb stroking his cheek as she returned his kiss. She never wanted to leave his presence. She felt so safe, so secure when she was with him. She never knew true love could ever exist until he had walked so unexpectedly into her life.

He felt her hand slip from his face, tracing along his neck to his chest. Her touch was setting his body on fire with need that was pleading for release, but he knew they couldn’t, not yet. Once this was all over and she was safe then they could truly be together.

As if reading his mind, Kahlan pulled back, her hand still lingering against his chest. She bit her bottom lip as she fought against the heated storm building within her. She knew if she didn’t leave now, she never would.

“I better go,” she whispered.

“I am going to take care of Darken Rahl, Kahlan,” he told her. “And once this is all over and I know you’re safe, we can finally be together.”

“I want that more than anything,” she smiled, leaning in and kissing once more. “Just please promise me that if you find you can’t stop him that you will escape from this place and never look back.”

“Kahlan,” he began shaking his head in disbelief. “I can’t promise you that. I can’t leave you here knowing what kind of a man Darken Rahl is.”

“Please, Richard…”she begged him, tears stinging her eyes once more. “I’ll know in my heart that you tried and I can go on with life knowing that you’re safe.”

“But I couldn’t live with myself knowing what that monster was doing to you, knowing the kind of life you were being forced to live.”

Fighting back tears, Kahlan stood to her feet and made her way to the door. Turning the handle, she paused to look back at him still sitting on the bed all alone, wishing more than anything she could stay with him. 

“I want you to know that my life has already been better just by knowing you, Richard Cypher,” she softly said, her voice cracking. “You have brought me more happiness in the short time that I have known you than I could have ever dreamed possible.”

Before he could even respond, she quickly left, slipping out as silently as she had first come to him. He had so much that he still wanted to tell her, so much that he wanted to say to her. She had turned his life upside down, managing to reach inside and heal his shattered heart, giving him a reason to live again. For that alone, he was more than grateful.

But the fact that she loved him return…that was like finally finding paradise.

Lying back on his bed, Richard couldn’t fight the smile that played upon his face despite the chaos that swirled around him at that moment. He could still taste her on his tongue, his lips still tingling from her kisses.

His entire body was humming with the heated desire that had taken over him, desire that she alone had created within him. Kahlan had come to him, admitted her feelings for him as well. She wanted him as much as he wanted her, making his heart feel lighter than it had been in weeks and it was all because of her.

Now, he just had to find a way to stop Darken Rahl, to keep him away from Kahlan. He had to find the proof that he needed so that Rahl would at last pay for his father’s murder. After that, he would finally be free to marry the woman that he loved.

XXX

Kahlan slipped back into her room, her heart still hammering beneath her breast and the taste of him still lingering on her tongue as she silently closed the door. It had taken every ounce of strength that she had to leave his room, but she couldn’t have risked his life because of her own selfish desire.

Turning, Kahlan came to an abrupt stop, a gasp rising up in her throat. She fought to calm herself as she noticed her future husband sitting in a chair in the dark shadows in the corner of the dimly lit room, his legs crossed, his hands calmly resting on the arms of the chair.

“Where were you, my love?”

The sound of his voice was slippery like oil and dark as his soul sending shivers racing through her. She fought the urge to run, to escape back to Richard’s room where she knew she’d always be safe, but she couldn’t. Rahl would kill him and then her life would truly be over.

“I…I went downstairs to get a drink,” she softly said, folding her arms across her chest. She suddenly felt so very exposed in front of him standing there in her nightdress.

She watched as he slowly stood to his feet, moonlight coming from her window cutting across his dark features. His eyes practically gleamed as his hungry gaze wandered over her, not even attempting to disguise his lustful thoughts that made her skin prickle.

“You know you’re not allowed to leave your room,” he calmly said her, the sound of the spurs on his black boots clinking softly with each step as he crossed the wooden floor to her. 

He stopped just a breath away from her, much too close for her liking. She shivered involuntarily as his hand came up to caress her cheek. “I know, but I was thirsty,” she replied, doing her best to keep the fear from reaching her voice.

Darken stared into her blue eyes, a sinister smile spreading across his lips. “You wouldn’t lie to your future husband now would you, Kahlan?” he pleasantly asked, suddenly grabbing her by the arm and twisting it behind her back as he roughly pulled her up against him. “Because you know how much I despise lying.”

“No!” she cried, fighting back sudden tears at the pain that shot through her arm. “I’m not lying!”

“You wouldn’t be seeing another man behind my back? Giving what’s mine to someone else?”

“No!” she furiously shook her head. “There is no one else. Why would there be?”

“Good, because I won’t stand for my own wife lying to me,” he hissed, his lips crashing into hers. “Or giving pleasure to anyone else but me.”

Kahlan tried to fight against his kiss, but he only tightened his grip on her arm. She knew if she didn’t stop fighting him that he’d break her arm for sure. Then she’d never be able to stop him from hurting her. 

Before she knew what was happening, Rahl threw her onto her bed, crawling on top of her and pinning her to the mattress. He began kissing along her neck, groping her breast as his other hand slid along her thigh. Hot tears began to fall against her will, fear raking through her knowing that he was going to rape her right here with Richard sleeping next door.

She felt vomit rise in her throat as she bit her bottom lip, swallowing back the scream that was desperate for release. She knew if she made any sound, Richard would come to her rescue and she couldn’t let him do that. She couldn’t let Rahl hurt him. 

“This is just a taste of what our wedding night is going to be like,” he whispered in her ear before kissing her hard again.

He suddenly released his hold on her, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as stood by her bed watching her cry, her nightdress torn. He turned then, walking to the door and leaving her all alone.

Rolling to her side, Kahlan drew her knees up, curling up into a tight ball on her bed. She sobbed softly, praying that Richard would be able to save her from this horrifying nightmare that her father had sentenced her to.

If Richard wasn’t able to keep this wedding from happening…the wedding night that she knew was coming, she swore she’d take her life before Rahl ever laid a finger on her like that again.

XXX

Darken Rahl descended the steps, pinching his lower lips between his thumb and forefinger as he fought the lust pumping through his veins at that moment. It had taken great self-control on his part to leave his betrothed’s room, but in less than two days she would be all his. 

He found that he sort of fancied the idea of making her suffer in anxious anticipation of what he would do to her on their wedding night. It served to heighten her fear of him, added to her misery. He enjoyed the fact that she was terrified of him. 

The fear that he had seen in Kahlan’s eyes tonight had only added to his pleasure, intensifying his lust. He hoped that she put up a fight on their wedding night. Breaking her spirit would be almost as pleasurable as taking her virtue.

Coming down the steps, he made his way to his private room in the back of the Inn. Closing the door behind him, he found Demmin sitting there waiting for him.

“Where was she?” Nass asked.

“I’m not sure, but we’re going to have to keep a closer eye on her,” Rahl muttered deep in thought as he sank into his chair behind his desk. “I don’t want my future wife escaping her fate.”

“Well, we have more trouble brewing now,” Nass informed him.

“What are you talking about?” Rahl glowered at him.

“There’s a rumor that Michael Cypher’s younger brother is in town,” Demmin said. “He’s been roaming around town, asking questions about him.”

“Richard Cypher…” Rahl murmured, running a finger lightly over his goatee. “I wondered how long it would take for him to show up.”

“You expected him to come here?”

“We killed his father,” Rahl reminded him. “It was only a matter of time before he came sniffing around here, looking for his brother or the ones who murdered his father.”

“Want me to take care of him?”

“No, not yet,” Rahl frowned. “Let’s wait and see what he does first. It might just be nothing.”

“Or it might be something,” Nass snorted.

“Do you know where he’s staying or what he looks like?”

“No idea,” he replied.

“You find him, but don’t touch him,” Rahl ordered him, leaning back in his chair. “Keep a close eye on him; see where he goes and who he talks to. I want to know what happens with his brother. I can’t have him interfering in my business with Michael Cypher.”

“Michael knows not to talk,” Nass suddenly grinned. “When I brought him back his father’s silver pocket watch splattered with his old man’s blood, he learned quickly the price of crossing you.”

A broad smile broke across Darken Rahl’s face, a sparkle filling his dark eyes. He had taken great pleasure in the horrified look that had ghosted across Michael’s face when Demmin had handed him his father’s pocket watch. 

Michael had indeed learned in that moment that he had sold his very soul to him. There would be no way out for him except in death. They were joined at the hip, their lives forever linked. Michael had wanted great wealth and he had gotten what he wanted at a very high price.

“There should be another shipment coming in soon,” Rahl told him as he lit a cigar. “Have your men ready to pick it up tomorrow night.”

“And if Richard Cypher is there?”

“Kill him.”

Nass smiled with the order, more than happy with the thought. “Any particular way?”

Rahl shrugged as released a long puff of smoke into the air. “Take your time…have fun with him.”

“And if Michael tries to stop me?”

“Kill him too,” Rahl said. “Kill anyone who gets in our way.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My very first AU fic! Team Seeker and gang set in the Wild Wild West. Hope you enjoy the adventure!

Chapter 6

Richard was oblivious to his surroundings, barely even aware of the man silently riding at his side as they made their way to his brother’s ranch. While he was worried about what he would find once he finally saw Michael again, his thoughts kept taking him back to Kahlan. He could still scarcely believe that she had come to his room last night, that she too felt that spark of something for him in her heart.

Just remembering how she had looked standing so nervously by the door, the way her nightdress had so perfectly accentuated her feminine curves, the look of uncertainty and longing that had veiled her face made his pulse race. And then he was suddenly kissing her, tasting what had been so forbidden, holding in his arms what he had wanted most.

It had been so magical that he had hated for it to end so quickly, but he knew that she could not have stayed. It would have only put her in more danger than she was already in. He could hardly wait until she could be with him always.

Chase cast a glance to his friend riding beside him, chuckling softly at the younger man. He could tell by the wistful expression on his face that he’d seen Kahlan again. He was already different from the man he had met just two days ago, his eyes losing a measure of the hard anger that had been there before when he had first met him.

“You kissed her, didn’t you?”

Taken aback, Richard looked to the sheriff riding to his left, noticing the smirk that now played on his lips, the amusement glinting in his dark eyes. He suddenly found it difficult keeping a smile from his own face. 

“Maybe,” Richard casually shrugged a shoulder, turning his focus back to the road before them. “A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell.”

“I can tell you did,” Chase chuckled in response. “It’s as obvious as the nose on your face.”

Richard’s brow furrowed with the sheriff’s words. “Really? I thought I was doing a pretty good job of hiding it.”

“There is no hiding it when a man is in love like you are, Richard.”

“I have to save her, Chase,” he said, his smile quickly fading. “I can’t let her marry Rahl.”

“You must have a death wish,” the sheriff shook his head in amazement.

“Could you’ve just sat back and allowed Emma to marry another man?”

Chase scowled with the thought, his gaze swiftly darkening like a violent storm rolling in. “Never,” he growled. “I never would’ve let Emma marry someone else. She belongs to me.” 

“Exactly,” Richard triumphantly replied.

“And just how do you plan on stopping Darken Rahl to save the woman you love?”

Richard’s mood suddenly darkened as well. “I’m not sure yet, but there has to be a way. I’m not going to give up until I find it.”

“The wedding is tomorrow, you know,” he reminded his friend. “Rahl won’t let you get half way out of D’Hara before he’d have you strung up. Besides, there’s no way that Kahlan would escape an attempt at freedom like that without being punished as well. Are you willing to put her through that?”

Richard’s shoulders sank as he considered his friend’s words. He knew in his heart that Chase was right, but he couldn’t condemn her to the life that he knew laid in store for her if he didn’t do something to stop it. 

He shuddered to think of what the future held for her, the things that Darken Rahl would do to her, force her into doing for him.

“And Kahlan won’t be in danger by marrying that monster? She’s in trouble no matter what I do or don’t do,” he told him. “If I can get her away from him, then we at least have a chance at the life that we want together. If I do nothing, she’s as good as dead.”

“You got that right,” Chase agreed with a heavy sigh. “You don’t want to know what happened to the other women who spent any length of time in Darken Rahl’s company. It’s not a pretty sight.”

“Why don’t you do something about it? Try and stop him?” Richard asked, his frustration mounting.

“Don’t you think I’ve tried?” he bit out. “When I first became sheriff, I made Rahl’s business my business. I followed him everywhere he went, tracked his every move. I became his shadow, just trying to catch him in the act of something that I could use to put him behind bars.

“Unfortunately, he’s very crafty, always covering his tracks and allowing his thugs to take the heat for his illegal dealings. He’ll never see the inside of a jail until we can come up with something that will stick to that slippery weasel.”

“His men are willing to take the blame for him?”

“They would rather go to jail for the rest of their lives or be hung from the gallows than to have to face Rahl for turning on him,” he told him. “I came close to catching him once a long time ago, but he made a veiled threat against my family so I was forced to back down. 

“I decided then and there that it was better to be alive and keep my family safe, to help keep some level of peace around here to counter the evil that Rahl spreads like a deadly virus. I have never given up hope, though, that one day I would be able to put him away forever, to rid D’Hara of Darken Rahl.”

“It takes a very special kind of man to be able to stay here and fight despite the odds against you,” Richard thoughtfully replied, sobered by the things that he had learned. “You’re a good man, Chase.”

“I don’t know about that, but I try to do what I can around here,” he softly said. “If there’s a way to stop Darken Rahl and this wedding, I will help you find it, Richard. You have my word.”

“I appreciate that, but I don’t want to put you or your family in any more danger. I couldn’t live with myself if you or your family got hurt because of me.”

“We’re in danger every day of our lives here. One day is no different from the next here in D’Hara.”

Richard nodded his head in understanding, knowing that Rahl had to be stopped one way or another. His heart demanded revenge against those who had murdered his father, but he suddenly found that saving Kahlan was just as important to him…maybe even a little more so.

He already knew that if it came down to choosing between revenge or escaping with Kahlan, he would choose Kahlan. While he loved and missed his father deeply, he had to focus on the future now, the life that he wanted to share with the woman who had so unexpectedly stolen his heart.

“How do you feel about seeing your brother after all this time?” Chase suddenly asked.

“Not sure I’m looking forward to it,” Richard shook his head. “Having to see him after all this time, delivering terrible news like this…I wish things hadn’t turned out like they had.”

“But if you hadn’t come to D’Hara, you never would’ve met Kahlan,” he reminded him. “Sometimes the sun can shine through the darkest of skies.”

Richard smiled softly with the sheriff’s reminder. “Yes, I guess it can,” he murmured more to himself, knowing the truth of his words.

A dark cloud of gloom and despair had been following him for weeks since his father’s death. Meeting Kahlan had brought the sun shining through in a dazzling rush of brilliant light, almost blinding him in her radiance. He never wanted to lose her, lose the warm light that she had shed on his dark and lonely life.

But Richard had to admit he was a little apprehensive about seeing his brother after so long. They had never been very close, each wrapped up in their different interests. Richard would’ve liked having a closer relationship with his brother, but Michael had always seemed so distant, more interested in money and making friends with influential people than things going on at home.

And now it seemed that those interests of his had gotten him into more trouble than he could handle.

Richard didn’t know how he was going to be able to keep from tearing his brother apart with his bare hands if Michael’s greed had gotten him tangled up with Darken Rahl or had led to their father’s murder.

He just hoped that it wasn’t true, but his heart was telling him otherwise.

XXX

Richard could scarcely believe his eyes as he dismounted his horse. Michael’s ranch was enormous, at least more than five times the size that his father’s ranch had been. His anger blazed anew, furious that his brother’s appetite for wealth had been more important to him than his own family had been.

“Over there,” Chase softly said with a nod of his head.

Turning, Richard spotted his brother coming out of a large barn. He was sharply dressed in black, the silver tips on his cowboy boots glinting brightly in the hot afternoon sun. His cowboy hat hung from his neck and rested against his back.

Looking up, Michael suddenly froze at the site of his unexpected visitors, his face immediately falling. It was not the reaction that Richard had been expecting, but he knew he shouldn’t have been surprised. It wasn’t like Michael to run and greet him, welcoming him with open arms. It just wasn’t in his nature.

Now, though, he appeared very guarded, fearful almost.

He had never seen that nervous expression directed at him before. He almost seemed afraid of him in a way. Was he fearful of being caught in something he shouldn’t be involved in or was he afraid of the reason behind Richard’s visit here?

If he was somehow responsible for their father’s death, Richard wasn’t actually sure what he would do or how he would react. He would have to force himself to listen to what Michael had to say first before reacting.

Michael abruptly turned then, swiftly closing the barn door behind him before securing it with the lock. Turning back towards them again, he straightened his black jacket before coming to meet them. Try as he might to hide his fear, it was dancing vividly in his eyes at that moment.

“Richard!” he cordially greeted him with a smile. “This is quite a surprise. It’s been far too long. It’s good to see you.”

Richard fought back a sudden rush of tears as Michael suddenly pulled him into a fierce embrace. Memories of all the times they had spent together as children playing cowboys and building forts came rushing to the surface. Despite the differences in personalities and interests, they’d still had some good times together. This was still his brother.

“It’s good to see you too, Michael,” Richard softly replied, returning his brother’s embrace in full despite the questions and suspicions that stormed through his mind.

After several moments, Michael finally pulled back to look at his brother. “Richard, what is it? What’s wrong?” he asked, his forehead creasing in sudden concern. “Are you alright?”

Whether feigned or real, his brother’s worry meant something to him at that moment. He’d been alone for so very long now. He’d had to cut his father down from that tree, burying him all alone. It had been the hardest thing that he’d ever had to do.

“It’s…father,” he managed to choke out. “He’s dead, Michael.”

“What?” he shook his head. “What happened to him?”

“I came home from bringing the cattle in from the valley to find him hanging from a tree. He’d been brutally beaten,” Richard informed him, his eyes suddenly brimming with tears now that he finally had his brother to share his heartache with.

“Who did this, Richard? Who would kill our father?” he demanded to know, his face twisting into a sneer.

“I was hoping that you could tell me,” he snapped, the fire of his anger suddenly banishing his tears and hardening his heart once more.

Michael took a subconscious step back, his eyes growing cold. “Why would I have anything to do with the murder of our father?” he gasped.

“I don’t know, Michael,” Richard bit out, his hands clenching into fists as he fought to control his anger. “Maybe it has to do with all of this fortune that you seem to have suddenly acquired.”

“What would my success have to do with father’s death?” he angrily ground out. “Your jealousy over my wealth is clouding your thinking.”

“I don’t care what you have or don’t have,” he growled. “You could own all of D’Hara and I couldn’t care less. I just want to know who killed our father.”

“Richard, I just found out that he had been murdered. How could I possible know who did it?”

“You had to have gotten yourself caught up in something illegal to have accumulated so much wealth so quickly.”

Michael took a threatening step closer to his brother, his anger flaring in return to Richard’s insinuations. “I have worked hard for everything that I have,” he hissed, pointing at his large house. “It was not just handed to me.”

“Are you sure about that, Michael?” Richard stepped closer. “Darken Rahl didn’t have a hand any of this?”

“How dare you show up here, tell me my father is dead and then accuse me of having illegal dealings with Darken Rahl!” Michel shouted. “You don’t know anything, Richard!”

“I didn’t just show up here without searching for answers first,” Richard seethed. “Everything that I have come across, every bit of information I have found has pointed me here, to Darken Rahl. Is it just a coincidence that you just happen to live here too and that it was our father who was killed? Is it just by accident that you have come into so much wealth in such a short amount of time?

“Tell me, Michael! Tell me you have nothing to do with Darken Rahl, that you didn’t inadvertently get our father killed because your greed got in the way!”

Michael watched as Richard’s chest rose and fell with fury and hurt, his eyes hard and dangerous. He had never seen his brother like this, a new-found respect for him suddenly taking root. “I am telling you the truth, Richard,” he calmly replied. “I had nothing to do with our father’s death.”

Richard stared at him for a long moment, weighing his words and trying to decide whether they were the truth or not. He finally relaxed his grip, unclenching his fists as he fought to rein in the anger that was pounding through his veins.

“That still doesn’t mean that you’re not involved with Darken Rahl in some way,” Richard finally responded, his voice sharper than a knife.

Michael looked past his brother to the imposing sheriff standing behind him. The look on Chase’s face told him that he believed the same as Richard. “And what do you think, Chase?”

“You already know what I think of Darken Rahl, Michael.”

“I heard a rumor that Rahl sent his men out here to your ranch last night to pick something up,” Richard informed him. “Any idea what that could’ve been?”

“If you must know, it was one of my cows from my herd,” Michael finally relented. “Rahl wanted it butchered for his wedding tomorrow. He’s planning an elaborate feast.”

Richard stared at him long and hard, knowing what Chase had told him about one of the crate of guns he and his deputy had confiscated last night. Michael was standing here lying straight to his face and he wasn’t the least bit guilt-ridden about it. It was like he’d been lying his whole life, the words dancing off his tongue as smoothly as if it were the truth. It made Richard’s stomach churn.

Michael suddenly stepped forward, his hand coming to rest on Richard’s shoulder. He squeezed it affectionately as he stared into his brother’s dark brown eyes. “If Rahl is involved, I promise I will do everything in my power to make him pay.”

Richard pulled away, unable to stand being near his brother any longer. He turned to leave, wanting to just get back to his room at the Inn, to hopefully have Kahlan visit him again like she had last night. Tonight, she would not be leaving his room.

“Michael, you and Richard leave Rahl to me,” Chase stepped in. “I can’t have the two of you bringing your own brand of justice whether it’s justified or not.”

Michael only nodded his head as he watched his brother make his way to his horse. “Where are you staying?” he called after him.

“The Keeper’s Inn,” Richard told him as he mounted his horse.

“You’re more than welcome to stay here with me if you want,” he replied, coming to stand beside him. “I have more than enough room for you to stay as long as you’d like.”

“I’ll think about it,” he told him before turning his horse and riding away.

“Keep your nose clean, Michael,” Chase warned him before taking his leave as well.

“Thank you for your concern, sheriff, but I can handle myself,” he called after him.

Michael watched as Richard and Chase rode away, his dark gaze narrowing. His brother’s sudden appearance couldn’t have come at a worse time, the news of his father’s death causing fear to strike deep in his heart.

He knew it was far too late to keep his nose clean like Chase had said. He was already in deep over his head, so much so that he didn’t think he’d ever see the light of day again. And there was no escaping once Darken Rahl sunk his claws into a person’s soul.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My very first AU fic! Team Seeker and gang set in the Wild Wild West. Hope you enjoy the adventure!

Chapter 7

Kahlan stood as inconspicuously as possible, doing her best to remain hidden in the dim smoky shadows as her soon-to-be husband talked to Demmin Nass and some of his men. They were just far enough away that she couldn’t quite make out the entire conversation, but she had been able to pick up enough to know that something was going down tonight at Michael Cypher’s ranch.

She couldn’t stop her pulse from racing knowing that Richard’s brother was at the center of whatever Darken Rahl was up to now. Her heart ached for Richard, wishing that things could have been so very different for him and his family. He deserved so much better than having to discover his father murdered, his brother engaged in illegal activities like this.

His life didn’t seem to be much better than hers. Hopefully, they could escape what life had given them, starting a new one together.

The thought brought a small smile to her lips. She could hardly wait to see him again. It had been a long day of preparations for a wedding that she never wanted, a day filled with thoughts of Richard instead of her betrothed. She was filled with so much dread that she could scarcely draw a breath, wishing more than anything to just disappear.

Despite her deepest desire, she knew that the chances of Richard being able to save her were very slim, the reality of her future bearing down on her. She had come to accept her fate even going so far as forming her own plan should Richard fail to save her. 

And it wasn’t that she didn’t believe that Richard wanted to save her or couldn’t, but Darken Rahl was not someone who could be so easily beaten. He was a very dangerous man, one who knew no bounds, no shame. There was no depth of depravity that he was not willing to sink to in order to get whatever he wanted.

She swore to herself that she was not about to become Darken Rahl’s personal slave, submitting to his perverse version of love and domination, a life filled with nothing but fear and violence. She’d had enough of that from her father. She was not about to endure it from her husband now too. 

She was going to take control of her life one way or another – either with Richard or in death.

“Kahlan, go get me a drink,” Rahl ordered before turning his attention back to Nass.

Kahlan ground her teeth against the urge to slam her fist into his face, knowing that it would only lead to more pain for her. She was still sore from her skirmish with Rahl last night, the bruises on her arm proof of that encounter. She refused to even think about what her wedding night held in store for her.

But she wasn’t going to have to worry about it. Either Richard would be able to save her or she would be dead. Either way, Darken Rahl would not have her, would never hurt her again.

Making her way through the crowded saloon, she suddenly caught site of Cara heading directly towards her, something clutched discreetly in her hand. She hoped it was what she had asked for.

Cara approached, her gaze anxious as she handed her the item. “I hope you know what you’re doing with this,” the saloon girl quietly said.

“I know exactly what I’m doing,” Kahlan replied as she fingered the knife, a sudden sense of confidence flooding her now that she had the weapon in her hand. “Thank you for getting it for me.”

“You’ll never be able to use it to defend yourself against Rahl,” she murmured, her emerald eyes constantly searching, making sure they weren’t noticed. “He’ll be able to wrestle it out of your hand before you can even use it.”

“I don’t plan on using it on him,” Kahlan calmly informed her, leaning down and slipping the knife carefully into her boot. “It’s for me.”

“You’re not going to kill yourself,” Cara angrily hissed in a deadly voice as realization sank in. “I won’t let you do it.”

“Only if Richard can’t find a way to escape this nightmare,” she softly said, smiling pleasantly to a man passing by them.

“Kahlan,” she frowned. “If I had known what you were planning, I never would’ve given that knife to you.”

“I know,” she said. “That’s why I let you believe I wanted it to defend myself.”

“I can’t let you go through with it,” she scowled. “Do you know what this will do to Richard?”

“There’s no talking me out of it, Cara,” she shook her head. “My father put me through more than you can begin to imagine. I’m not going through it with Darken Rahl as well. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go get my future husband a drink before he comes looking for me.”

Cara watched as Kahlan swiftly disappeared into the throngs of people, wishing that she hadn’t gotten her that knife. She needed to find Richard right away and let him know what she was planning on doing before it was too late.

XXX

“Michael is up to something,” Richard told Chase as they made their way to the saloon, the sun beginning to set in the distant horizon. “I’m certain of it now more than ever.”

“He definitely seemed nervous about something,” Chase had to admit.

“And whatever it is, it’s hidden inside that barn,” he sighed heavily. “We’ve got to find a way inside and find out what it is.”

Chase followed Richard as he entered the saloon, not certain that he liked that idea at all. “Michael is not going to just let you see what he has hidden inside there. Although he tried to act like it, he didn’t seem all too pleased about seeing you nor did he appear that surprised about your father’s death.”

Richard immediately began scanning the large room for Kahlan, anxious to see her. “I know, but we’ve got to get to the bottom of this once and for all. Kahlan is supposed to be marrying Rahl soon.”

“You really think we’re going to be able to get this sorted out before then?” he asked, sitting down at one of the few empty tables left in the crowded saloon. “The wedding is tomorrow afternoon.”

“Don’t remind me,” Richard groaned. “I’m not about to let her marry that vile excuse for a human being.”

Just then he spotted the object of his deepest desires, her perfect form gliding through the room like an angelic spirit, her soft pink dress that Rahl had forced her to wear leaving little to the imagination. His jealousy suddenly flared with the perverse way men were ogling her, their lust-filled stares turning his blood to liquid flames in his veins as they undressed her with their eyes.

He wanted to take her upstairs, away from all the stares. He wanted so badly to be alone with her.

As she turned, Richard suddenly noticed the nasty purple bruise that marred her arm, his rage suddenly vying with his jealousy for control. He couldn’t bear the thought of Rahl hurting her and yet the evidence was right there on her skin.

Had Darken Rahl found out that Kahlan had been in his room last night? There was no way. If Rahl had found that out, Richard knew that he would be swinging from a tree right now.

Noticing Richard tensing beside him, Chase put a calming hand on his friend’s arm. “Don’t do anything foolish,” he warned him, knowing exactly what he was thinking. “You can’t do anything for her here.”

“That bruise is only the beginning for her, Chase,” Richard growled. “I have to stop him…now.”

Standing to his feet, Richard was brought to a sudden stop by a hand on his shoulder. He looked to find Cara there. “Sit,” she firmly said as she pushed him back into his chair before settling into a chair beside him. “We need to talk.”

“How did Kahlan get those bruises?” he demanded, his barely controlled anger evident in his voice. “What did Rahl do to her?”

“I don’t know,” Cara shook her head. “She wouldn’t tell me, but there’s something you need to know.”

Chase and Richard leaned in close, each growing tense with what she was about to tell them. “What is it? Is it about Rahl?” the sheriff finally asked.

“You need to know what Kahlan is planning,” she quietly said, leaning in close to Richard.

Richard’s heart suddenly froze in his chest. “What? What’s going on?”

“Kahlan said that if you aren’t able to save her by the time of the wedding, she’s going to take her own life,” Cara informed them.

“What?” Richard gasped, sitting back in his chair as his gaze settled on Kahlan standing at the bar talking to Zedd now.

How could she possibly plan to do something like that? It was beyond imagining, a world that Kahlan wasn’t a part of, her light no longer shining so radiantly in his life was suddenly so inconceivable. He couldn’t allow her to do that. He refused to go on without her in his life. He finally had a future that he wanted to live for and he wanted it with her.

“I have to talk to her,” Richard murmured, urgency over the situation growing more demanding with every passing moment. He would not sleep until Kahlan was safe in his arms.

A sudden powerful grip on his arm kept him from getting out of his chair. “Not yet,” Chase told him. “If Rahl catches you talking to her, you’ll only make it that much harder on Kahlan. Just try to wait a little bit. Maybe Rahl will leave soon and you can talk to Kahlan alone.”

Richard knew his friend was right, but forcing himself to remain seated was next to impossible when all he wanted was to run to her. He wanted to feel her in his arms again, to feel the softness of her lips pressed so urgently against his, to tell her not to give up hope just yet. This was far from over and he was not about to let her take her own life.

“We have to get her out of here, Chase,” Richard growled.

“I’m not arguing with you over that fact, but trying to do it here and now is suicide,” he told him.

“He’s coming this way now,” Cara hissed as she bolted to her feet, her hand finding Richard’s shoulder. “Don’t do something stupid.”

“Who’s coming?” he shook his head in confusion.

“Darken Rahl,” she murmured before suddenly speaking louder. “Well then, maybe next time you’re in town you’d like a little company, handsome.”

Richard watched as Cara slinked away leaving him and Chase alone again, but only for a moment as a man dressed in black came to a stop at their table. He immediately knew who it was without needing any introductions. He could feel his anger bubbling up to the surface like hot lava inside of him.

“Sheriff,” Rahl warmly greeted, tipping his hat to him. “So good to see you. It’s not often that you grace my establishment with you presence…unless of course there’s a brawl.”

“Just stopped for a drink with my friend here before heading home,” Chase replied.

“Do send my best to Emma for me will you?” he smiled broadly.

Richard could feel Chase bristle beside him as his wife’s name rolled off of Rahl’s forked tongue. Chase was struggling to control his heated emotions just as much as Richard was. It wouldn’t do anyone any good if they gave into temptation to eliminate Rahl now.

“I will do that,” the sheriff nodded, his face revealing nothing as he took a drink.

“And who is your friend here?” Rahl turned towards Richard, his eyes black as coal. “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you in town before.”

Richard wanted nothing more than to slit his throat, to erase the smug grin from his face for what he’d done to Kahlan. Instead, he smiled pleasantly at the man standing before them. “I’m Richard Cypher,” he informed him.

“Well, Richard, I do hope you enjoy your stay in D’Hara,” he said, not revealing his delight over the fact that he had finally found Michael’s brother. “Maybe you’ll still be here tomorrow for my wedding.”

“I’ve heard,” Richard coldly bit out, unable to keep the anger and jealousy inside from reaching his eyes.

“You are more than welcome to attend,” Rahl offered, motioning towards his bride. “Come here, Kahlan. I’d like you to meet Richard Cypher.”

Kahlan obediently made her way to him, doing her best to keep from making eye contact with Richard for fear her feelings for him would show on her face. Coming to a stop beside Rahl, she could feel Richard’s intense gaze on her, but she refused to meet his eyes. She was too afraid her heart would betray her.

“This is my bride, Kahlan,” Rahl introduced her, his arm snaking around her waist and pulling her firmly against him. “Kahlan, this is Richard Cypher.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she murmured, casting a glance at Richard.

Her heart melted the moment their eyes met, the fierce emotion storming in those chocolate orbs making her knees so weak. She watched as his gaze momentarily flickered to the ugly bruise on her arm before finally meeting her eyes once more, anger burning in his eyes.

“It’s nice to meet you too,” Richard softly replied, watching as she quickly tried to cover the bruise on her arm with her other hand. He wondered just how many other bruises she was hiding from him.

Darken Rahl looked from Richard to Kahlan, suddenly noticing a flicker of something there. “Well, I’m afraid I have some business I must attend to,” he suddenly announced. “If you’ll excuse me, my love, I must leave for a while, but I’ll be back long before our wedding tomorrow.”

Richard clenched his fists beneath the table, grinding his teeth as Rahl suddenly pulled Kahlan into a heated kiss, his hands finding her posterior and forcefully pressing her even further into him. It took every ounce of strength he had not to kill him with his bare hands for even touching her.

Kahlan knew she couldn’t fight Rahl despite her desperate desire to shove him away from her. Her heart hurt for the pain this must have been causing Richard, but what could so do?

If she fought against him, Rahl might suspect out that something was going on between her and Richard. She couldn’t let that happen. She had to protect the man that she loved at all cost.

Finally pulling out of the kiss, Darken Rahl grinned maliciously, his eyes roaming over her in obvious hungry desire. “Tomorrow night, I finally get to finish what we started last night, my sweet Kahlan,” he smugly said, casting a glance at Richard who was set to explode with rage. “I know you’re just as anxious as I am so be sure to get plenty of rest tonight. You’re going to need it.”

Richard watched as Kahlan’s eyes grew hard like steel with resolve, his heart begging him to save her as Rahl leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. He felt a calming hand on his knee and knew it was Chase’s, grounding him and keeping him from losing his head right then and there.

“Gentlemen,” Rahl drawled with a grin before turning and leaving with Nass following close behind him.

Kahlan turned to leave only to be stopped by a sudden hand on her wrist. She didn’t dare make eye contact, fearing that she would only get him killed in the end. “Please, Richard…don’t,” she whispered as she watched Rahl leave the saloon.

“Kahlan, I know what you’re planning and I can’t let you go through with it,” he heatedly said, doing his best to keep his voice low though his anger and fear made it near impossible. “You have to give me some time to stop him.”

“I’m afraid I don’t have time,” she softly murmured, finally meeting his intense gaze. “I won’t be his wife, Richard. Last night, I got a small taste of what awaits me tomorrow and I refuse to let him hurt me like that.”

“I’m so sorry, Kahlan,” he shook his head, his thumb lightly brushing over the bruise on her forearm. “If I had known…”

“There’s nothing you could have done, Richard,” she flatly said.

“You are staying with me tonight,” he firmly told her.

“I will not get you killed over this,” she hissed, jerking her arm away. “There’s no escaping this.”

“Kahlan…” Richard began.

“Just leave me alone, Richard!” she cried. “Forget about me…leave D’Hara before you get yourself killed.”

Fighting back tears, Kahlan quickly turned away, disappearing into the crowded room, leaving Richard alone with Chase once more. Richard felt his chest constrict with her words, wishing more than anything he could go after her, take her away from here.

“Don’t even think about it. Right there is one of Rahl’s men,” Chase tightly informed him with a nod of his head. “Over there’s another…at least three by the door and probably twenty more in here that we haven’t even seen yet. That doesn’t include those who are out roaming the streets right now.”

“I can’t leave her here, Chase,” Richard scowled, clenching his jaw. “I can’t walk away knowing what that animal is going to do to her, that she is going to take her own life tomorrow if I don’t do something to stop this madness.”

“Kahlan only said that because she’s trying to protect you,” the sheriff said. “She loves you, Richard. You can see it in her eyes when she looks at you. I just hope Darken Rahl didn’t notice it.”

“I have never wanted to kill someone so much in life then when Rahl kissed her like that,” he admitted.

“He could tell,” Chase replied. “That’s why he did it, tried to get you to react.”

Richard silently berated himself for allowing his emotions to simmer so close to the surface. “We need to follow him, see where he’s going.” 

“We already know where he’s going,” Chase frowned.

“Michael’s ranch,” Richard muttered to himself.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My very first AU fic! Team Seeker and gang set in the Wild Wild West. Hope you enjoy the adventure!

Chapter 8

Slipping stealthily through the thick darkness, Richard couldn’t help the hurt that continued to linger in his heart, the things Kahlan had said to him still echoing painfully through his mind. He knew she hadn’t meant it, but the words still stung nonetheless.

She had given up hope and that scared him almost more than anything he’d encountered so far. She had resigned herself to her fate, had lost the will to fight for the future that they wanted. If he didn’t do something soon, she’d take her own life tomorrow and that was not something that he couldn’t begin to live with. He would have to fight for the both of them now.

“I don’t like this plan of yours,” Chase grumbled under his breath.

“Then why did you come along?” Richard retorted.

“To keep you from getting your head blown clean off your shoulders that’s why,” the sheriff scowled. “I’m just lucky you didn’t try something stupid when Rahl came to our table.”

“I almost did,” Richard replied. “I think that he suspects something.”

Chase glanced at his friend, barely able to make out his silhouette against the darkness of the night, clouds partially obscuring the moon from view. “Well if he didn’t before, he might now that he knows you share the same last name as Michael.”

“I wanted him to know I was here,” he ground out, knowing it might not have been the wisest move. “I want him to be looking over his shoulder, worried about what I might do knowing that he killed my father. Maybe it’ll cause him to trip up, make a mistake.”

“Or he might just take you out once and for all,” Chase reminded him. “Then he won’t have to worry about you know or don’t know. You’ll just be dead.”

“I hope he tries.”

“Darken Rahl is the one of the fastest draws around these parts, not to mention the deadliest,” he informed him. “He never misses, Richard.”

“Well, maybe I’m faster,” he replied, doing his best to keep his anger in check.

He wanted a chance at the man who had not only taken his father from him, but had hurt the woman that he loved. He wasn’t about to let him get away with the heinous crimes that he had committed.

“I’m just relieved that you didn’t try to kill Rahl when he kissed Kahlan like he did. We’d have both been dead for sure.”

“It took every ounce of strength I had not to beat the life out of him right there,” Richard admitted with a growl. “I will not let that animal touch her ever again.”

“We have to get through tonight first,” he reminded him as he came to a stop behind the safety of a tree. “We might not live long enough to see tomorrow.”

Chase paused to peer around the trunk as Richard came to a stop behind him. Soft lantern light created a hazy halo around Michael’s ranch, the sound of voices being carried on the cool night breeze despite the heavy humidity that hung in the air.

“There’s definitely something going on over there,” Chase whispered, his eyes narrowing as he tried to make out the shifting shapes in the fullness of night’s shadows.

“We need to get closer so we can find out what’s really going on over there,” Richard said as he began to move past Chase.

“Let me go first,” Chase scowled, grabbing a fistful of Richard’s blue shirt and dragging him back behind him again. “I am the sheriff here, remember?”

“Fine; then let’s go and get what we need so I can get back to Kahlan and you can go home to Emma,” Richard hissed. “I don’t like leaving Kahlan alone like this longer than I have to.”

“Don’t get your britches in a hot bundle,” Chase frowned. “You’ll be back to see your woman soon enough. Just stay focused on the task at hand instead of getting your hands on Kahlan’s skirts.”

Shooting Chase a dirty look, Richard’s hand found his revolver at his hip, ready for whatever they may find, prepared to do whatever was necessary to end this once and for all. Stopping Rahl and saving Kahlan was all that mattered to him now.

His brother had made his choice long ago, preferring wealth and a partnership with the devil over his very own family. Because of it, their father had been murdered. He didn’t know how he could ever begin to forgive something like that.

“Stay close and don’t start shooting unless we’re provoked,” Chase murmured.

“I know what to do, Chase,” Richard muttered in annoyance.

“I just don’t want your anger getting the best of you,” he replied, his voice losing some of its previous edge. “You deserve revenge for what Rahl did to your father, but it’s not worth the guilt that you’ll carry for the rest of your life for taking another man’s life.”

“You act as though you speak from experience,” he said.

“I do,” he whispered.

Silently cutting a path through the inky darkness, Richard couldn’t stop the thousands of things all running through his mind at the same time. So much had happened in the last several weeks, more than he cared to dwell on. 

His heart had been so hard and full of bitterness over his father’s death that he thought for certain that nothing would ever be able to touch it ever again. But then, Kahlan had suddenly walked through that saloon, stirring his heart and breathing new life into him, spreading warm light into the cold desolate shadows of his world.

Nothing in this life had ever been more right, felt more real to him than Kahlan.

The sounds of men’s voices grew a little more distinct the closer they got to the ranch, the shadows growing darker with the intrusion of light the lanterns were casting, helping to keep them both well hidden from view. The soft rustle of the cattle as they settled in for the night brought Richard an unexpected sense of comfort, reminding him of being back home.

“Why didn’t you tell me your brother was here?”

“I didn’t think it was important,” Michael replied.

“Well, it is important.”

Richard bristled at the sound of Darken Rahl’s voice, his heart beginning to pound with the anger that consumed it. Hearing him talking to Michael only fueled even more fire to his fury. Stopping behind one of the stables, he and Chase peered around the corner, hoping to find something that would finally bring an end to all of this madness.

“Are you going to kill him too just like you killed my father?” Michael spat out.

Darken Rahl sighed, shaking his head. “I warned you what would happen if you tried to back out of our deal, didn’t I?”

“You didn’t have to murder my father,” Michael yelled, clenching his fists as he looked from Rahl to Nass. “You could’ve just taken everything I had instead. You didn’t have to involve him.”

“Now, why would I take everything that you have when I have you right where I want you?” he calmly said as he lit his cigar. “Michael, you have everything you’ve ever wanted. Why throw it all away now?”

“I never wanted it at the price of my father’s life,” he cried with barely controlled rage.

“What’s done is done and there is no going back,” Rahl shrugged, puffing on his cigar. “We can only move forward from here. I plan on making the exchange tonight. I’m getting married tomorrow and I don’t want anything interfering with that, least of all your brother Richard.”

“Why would Richard interfere in your wedding?”

“He seems to have taken a liking to my future wife,” Rahl smirked. “Kahlan is mine and I’m not about to let her escape with him.”

“I assure you, Richard doesn’t even know her,” Michael frowned. “Besides, he only came to tell me about our father’s death. Nothing more.”

“Too bad he made the trip for nothing,” Rahl said. “Didn’t you tell him you already knew?”

“No, of course not,” Michael shook his head, crossing his arms against his chest.

“And does he suspect anything?”

Michael kicked a stone away with the toe of his boot, wondering how his life had suddenly become so complicated. “No…Richard doesn’t know anything,” Michael replied, finally making eye contact. “He only came to tell me the news, nothing more. He’ll probably be heading home tomorrow morning.”

“If he’s smart, he’s already heading out of D’Hara now.”

Richard felt his stomach twisting painfully as he listened to them talk about him, thick knots of anger and dread forming. He didn’t know what to think, what to believe anymore. Michael had known all along that Rahl had had their father murdered and never did a damn thing about it, never even came home for his funeral.

At the same time, Michael had just lied to Darken Rahl about Richard’s knowledge of what was going on. Was his brother actually trying to protect him now? It didn’t matter even if he was. Michael could not be trusted no matter what. There was only one person that his brother was looking out for and that was himself.

Just then someone approached out of the shadows. “Sir, the men from Kelton are here,” he told Rahl.

“Thank you, Thaddeus,” Rahl said. “Tell them we’ll meet them in the barn shortly.”

Chase growled to himself, cursing under his breath. “I should have known that old goat was conspiring with Rahl,” he muttered. “Guess I’ll be looking for a new deputy now.”

“You can’t let on you know anything until we stop Darken Rahl,” Richard reminded him.

“But when we do, I’m going to skin old Thaddeus alive,” he hissed.

“Shall we, Michael,” Rahl pleasantly suggested, directing him to the barn.

Michael leveled a glare at him before turning and leading the way inside. The night grew eerily quiet as Chase and Richard waited, making sure that everyone was gone before proceeding. They couldn’t risk getting caught now when they were so close to finding what they needed.

Even if Chase was the sheriff and Richard was Michael’s brother, Darken Rahl would no doubt make sure their deaths appeared to be some sort of horrific accident if they were caught. 

And by the sounds of it, if Michael wasn’t careful, he could be joining them as well.

XXX

Lying in her bed in the hushed darkness of her room, Kahlan couldn’t help the loneliness that pervaded her heart or the deep ache that filled it. Her mind was a torrent of thoughts and emotions, painful regret for the things that she had said to Richard continually playing over and over again. 

She hadn’t wanted to hurt him, but to save him from a fate that he didn’t deserve. There was no need for them both to die so senselessly. She knew she could die happy as long as he was safe. He could always move on from here, find someone who could love him and build a life with him.

She squeezed her eyes closed against the images of the anger and hurt that had filled his gaze, knowing what she was planning to do. She had never wanted him to find out that she was going to take her own life if he should fail. She didn’t want to add to the direness of the situation they both found themselves in. It was just a stark reality that she had come to accept.

But Richard and Chase had left soon after Darken Rahl had and he still hadn’t returned when she had gone to her room. Now, her words of hurt and rejection would be the last words spoken to him, the last thing that he had heard her say to him.

He would never hear how she truly felt, how her heart burned for him, her body ached for him. He would never know how he had reached inside of her hopeless world and turned everything right just in the very short time that she had known him.

She had never thought that a love could ever happen like this…especially for her.

Memories of her father came creeping up from the dark reaches of her mind, tormenting her with a past she’d sooner forget than remember. She was more than thankful he was finally out of her life for good, but the trade-off had been no better…only that much worse.

Rolling onto her side, she pulled the knife that she had gotten from Cara out from under her pillow. She fingered the sharp blade, the soft shaft of moonlight coming from her window illuminating the steel she held in her hand. She lightly touched the deadly point of it with the tip of her finger, wondering now if she’d really be able to go through with it.

The alternative, though, was not one that she could possibly live with.

Darken Rahl would ravish her like a wild animal, doing things to her that she couldn’t begin to imagine. She had been able to hold him off until now, but tomorrow night would be a completely different story. It caused a shiver of terror to race up her spine. She refused to be subjected to his violence or depravity. 

Shoving aside thoughts of her future husband, Kahlan allowed herself to dwell on Richard, wondering where he was at and what he was doing at that moment. She prayed that he and Chase were safe, that they wouldn’t be risking their lives over her. She wasn’t worth it.

She found herself longing to feel Richard’s powerful arms trapping her against his muscular body, the roughness of his whiskers against her skin as he kissed her with a passion that she was yearning to experience in full. 

She loved the way that he looked her, the longing in his gaze that seared through her like nothing she’d ever known before. He didn’t look at her the way the other men did. There was no lust, no licentious motive behind his every glance or touch. Instead, there was a wonderment in his dark chocolate eyes, a desire to truly know her as a person, a woman. It melted her heart and created flutters in the pit of her stomach.

She felt special, beautiful when he looked upon her. She felt so very many things around him, emotions that were all jumbled up leaving her feeling giddy with excitement and a deep hunger to know every single part of him.

Slipping the knife back into its hiding place, Kahlan suddenly thought it strange that she knew so very little about Richard and yet she felt as though she had known him her whole life. It was just as if they had been meant for one another, finding that other half of herself that she hadn’t even realized she’d been missing until their eyes had met that night.

Richard made her feel whole in a way that she’d never known was possible, completing the picture that was Kahlan Amnell. And she never wanted that picture of herself to be without him in it.

The problem was Darken Rahl still stood firmly in the way of the happiness that they both so desperately wanted together. She just hoped that Rahl hadn’t seen her heart shining in her eyes when he had introduced her to Richard. She had tried so hard to hide the warm desire that permeated every fiber of her being every time she was near him or looked at him, but feared that she had failed miserably.

And try as he may, Richard’s feelings had flashed through his eyes as well when he had looked at her, causing her breath to catch. The room had grown considerably warmer, the very air electric…or had it just been her that had felt those things when their eyes had locked on one another?

Sighing, Kahlan snuggled deeper under the covers of her bed, Richard’s insistence that she stay with him tonight floating through her mind. She wished more than anything that he was here with her now, sharing her bed with her.

A small smiled touched her lips as she imagined him holding her close to him as they slept, his heavenly scent filling her nostrils as well as her soul. Sleep tugged as her senses as she envisioned running her fingers over the smooth contours of his muscular chest, her body molded so perfectly against his.

How she wished her dream would become a reality, but she knew her reality was tucked safely beneath her pillow, waiting for the right moment to end it all.

Glancing at her wedding dress hanging by the mirror on the far side of the room, she felt hot tears flood her eyes, wishing more than anything that she was marrying Richard tomorrow instead of ending her life. 

She felt as though she had caused Richard nothing but pain since he had met her. She wished that she could have brought him half as much happiness as he had brought her. She was afraid, though, she had only brought him a death sentence.

XXX

Standing in the dark shadows of an alley, he stood leaning against the wall of a building, taking a long puff on his cigar. His cold dark eyes were fixed on The Keeper’s Inn across the street from him, his calculating gaze wandering over every single window that stared back at him.

Clenching his jaw, he was still filled with hot fury, his mind continually replaying events of the other day, an encounter that refused to be ignored. There would be retribution for both of them. One way or another, he was going to get what he wanted and this time, no one was going to stand in his way.

Tossing his half-smoked cigar onto the ground, he stomped on it with the heel of his boot, grinding it into the dirt. He shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his breeches as he turned to walk away, a plan already taking shape in his mind.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My very first AU fic! Team Seeker and gang set in the Wild Wild West. Hope you enjoy the adventure!

Chapter 9

Stealing through the dead of night, Richard couldn’t help the racing of his heart, knowing that he was getting that much closer to finally catching his father’s killer. It also meant saving the woman that had stolen his heart.

He suddenly thought it strange how life had turned out, how his father’s murder had led him here to Kahlan. Their paths in life had crossed so coincidently or so it had seemed. He never would’ve guessed that this painful journey that he’d been on for well over six weeks now would’ve ended up bringing love into the bleakness that his life had become.

Meeting Kahlan had brought warmth to his cold heart, had put a smile on his face once more, one that had been missing for so very long now. In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time that he had smiled since his father’s death and now he had smiled more times in the last couple of days all because of her.

Slipping his gun free from its holster, Richard moved in closer to where Chase was crouching alongside the barn where all the activity was buzzing now. He could hear muffled voices, but it was difficult to make out what they were saying. The only thing that could really be heard was the crickets chirping their nighttime lullaby.

Spotting a window nearby, he silently crawled over to it, anxious to catch a glimpse of what was going on inside. He carefully eased himself up, his fingers slowly wrapping around the windowsill. Peering inside through the glass streaked with dirt, he was able to see Darken Rahl talking to some men he’d never seen before, likely the ones from Kelton.

Michael and Demmin Nass flanked Rahl on either side of him, their arms crossed defensively against their chests, their guns peeking out beneath the coats they wore. Behind them stood at least a dozen or more men, no doubt awaiting orders from Rahl. 

“What do you see?” Chase whispered, keeping close to the ground.

“They’re all talking right now,” he murmured, his dark brown eyes narrowing as Rahl and a man Richard guessed was from Kelton moved over to a large wooden crate.

Using a crowbar, Rahl worked the lid of the crate free before reaching in and pulling something out of it. Richard couldn’t help the sharp gasp that escaped his lips as Rahl handed it to the man from Kelton to inspect.

“What?”

“It’s dynamite,” Richard whispered.

“Dynamite?” Chase repeated in shock. “What’s he doing with crates of dynamite?”

“Probably going to blow something up,” he retorted, casting a glance at the sheriff.

Chase rolled his dark eyes at his comment. “Well, I figured that much,” he hissed. “But what could their target be?”

“I don’t know,” Richard shook his head. “We need to get closer to find out what they’re saying.”

“It’s too big of a risk,” Chase frowned. “We’re going to have to wait and see what they do with it. Hopefully, we can apprehend one of the men from Kelton. Maybe one of them might be more willing to talk than one of Rahl’s henchmen.”

Richard felt cold fear slice through him, knowing what Darken Rahl was holding in his hands at that moment. There was no telling the destruction that he could cause with the large amount of explosives he had. And there was no telling how much he exactly had that they couldn’t see. He could level all of D’Hara with what he had in his possession right now, countless lives lost because of him.

He knew he had to do something to end the madness before he devastated any more lives. He didn’t want anyone else to have to go through the pain of losing a loved one like he’d had to endure.

“What’s happening now?” Chase’s voice suddenly cut through Richard’s tormented thoughts.

“It looks like Rahl is getting ready to leave,” Richard replied, pulling away from the window to crouch on the ground next to Chase. “We need to stop him before he gets away.”

“And how exactly do you plan on doing that?” Chase frowned. “There are two of us and over two dozen of them between Rahl’s men and the Keltons.”

“We caught him red-handed with the explosives,” he said. “We heard how he had my father killed and we know he’s planning something big with the Keltons. There’s got to be something we can do.”

“We’ll have to go back and wire Aydindril for reinforcements,” he insisted. “We can let them know that Rahl is plotting something with the Keltons. They’ll be more than anxious to come and put a stop to Rahl once and for all.”

Taking his hat off, Richard raked his fingers back through his long brown hair, knowing deep down that Chase was right, but he needed to do something now before Kahlan’s wedding tomorrow, before she could end her life.

“We have to do something now…tonight,” he shook his head in heated frustration. “We can’t let Rahl hurt Kahlan and we definitely can’t let her take her own life.”

Chase could feel his friend’s anger and frustration rolling off of him. “Maybe she won’t,” he suggested.

“No, I saw it in her eyes, Chase,” he softly said, horrified by the cold resolve that had filled her blue eyes when she had looked at him. “She is bound and determined to end her life if she is forced to marry Rahl tomorrow. I can’t let her go through with it.”

“Well, we better come up with a plan quick if we’re going to stop the wedding tomorrow.”

“That’s what we need to do,” Richard finally said after a long moment, his face suddenly brightening. “We may not be able to capture Rahl tonight, but we can do something to cause the wedding to be postponed long enough for Aydindril to send help.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“If we can steal the dynamite from the Keltons then Rahl will be forced to deal with them,” he suggested. “He’ll be too consumed with getting his dynamite back to even think about getting married tomorrow.”

“Good plan, but we’re still outnumbered,” Chase pointed out.

“Not if we can sneak into the barn and light some of that dynamite,” he replied.

“Blow the barn sky high,” he nodded, a smile spreading across his face as the plan began to take shape. “Darken Rahl will be so livid about losing his precious shipment, he won’t even remember that he’s supposed to be getting married tomorrow.”

“Exactly,” Richard grinned.

“I like how you think, my friend,” Chase said, clapping him on the back. “We just have to figure out a way to sneak in, light that dynamite and get out before we get blown up too.”

“We have to try,” Richard told him, his face growing serious again. “It’s our only chance to save Kahlan.”

XXX

Coming out of the barn, Darken Rahl pulled another cigar from his vest pocket. He came to an abrupt stop as he lit it before turning to address Nass. “Keep an eye on things here,” Rahl instructed him. “I don’t want anything going wrong with the exchange with the Keltons that could ruin my wedding or my honeymoon with Kahlan. I’ve waited this long to have her. I’m not about to wait another night.”

“She’s going to be quite the little fighter,” Nass replied, a dark gleam of lust suddenly filling his eyes. “I wouldn’t have minded a chance at her myself.”

“I’m going to make her scream for all of D’Hara to hear her,” Rahl smirked. “If you do well, I might even consider sharing her with you for a night, my friend.”

“I’d love to tame her a little,” Nass grinned at the thought. “I bet she’d be a wildcat.”

Richard ground his teeth, his heart hammering with the rage that was brewing inside of him as they talked about Kahlan. He felt a powerful hand suddenly wrap around his arm from behind him. He knew without looking that Chase was trying to keep him from losing his head and making a deadly mistake, but at that point, he didn’t care.

He wanted to choke the life out of these two vile men, do anything it took to keep them from laying a finger on Kahlan. He didn’t care if it cost him his life as long as she was safe.

“Don’t do it,” Chase hissed hotly in his ear, his fingers digging into his arm. He knew what Richard was thinking, but they couldn’t risk doing anything now.

He could feel Richard began to relax ever so subtly as Rahl and Nass began to talk about other things. He slowly released his hand on his arm; still fearful Richard might leap out of the dark shadows that kept them well hidden and try to take them both on. He knew how desperate his friend was to save Kahlan, but getting himself killed wasn’t going to achieve that.

“Once the Keltons have the supplies and are on their way, I want you to head back to the saloon,” Rahl told him. “I have more things for you to take care of yet tonight for me.”

“Like what?”

“Like keeping an eye on Kahlan for one thing,” he snorted. “I don’t want my beautiful prize to suddenly sprout wings and fly away from me. I didn’t wait all this time to have her just to be denied now. Tomorrow night she will willingly submit to me or I’ll take what’s rightfully mine.”

With a low growl deep in his throat, Richard’s hand suddenly found his gun, his fingers wrapping tightly around the weapon, his fury demanding to be released. He watched as the two men began to walk away, his muscles coiled tightly, ready to attack.

He couldn’t help but think how easy it would be to just shoot them both in the back right here, eliminating them once and for all. His finger slid towards the trigger as he pulled it from his holster, his nostrils flaring and a sneer on his lips.

He could so easily get revenge for his father’s murder; keep Kahlan safe from the monsters that would hurt her. He could put an end to the torment that Rahl spread like a deadly virus, the chaos that he secretly stirred behind closed doors.

Richard released the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding as they disappeared from view. He slowly lowered his arm, sliding his gun back into his holster, somewhat taken aback that Chase hadn’t even tried to stop him.

Turning to face his friend, Richard was surprised by the knowing grin on the sheriff’s face. “Why didn’t you try to stop me again?” he whispered.

“Because you needed to make the choice for yourself, decide what kind of man that you truly wanted to be,” Chase told him, his hand finding Richard’s shoulder and squeezing it reassuringly. “I knew you’d come to the right decision on your own. Although, I have to admit that you had me a little worried when you raised your arm and pointed your gun at them.”

Richard shook his head, trying to calm his pounding heart. “I wanted to,” he admitted with a ragged sigh. “I wanted to shoot them both dead, but I just couldn’t do it. Not like that anyway.”

“You’re a good man with a good heart, Richard,” Chase replied with pride.

“Then why do I feel like a coward, like I just let Kahlan and my father down?”

“Trust me; you haven’t,” he reassured him. “Come on; let’s take this lowlife down.”

Just as Richard turned to follow Chase, everything suddenly went black.

XXX

Kahlan awoke to the feel of a cold blade pressed against her throat, a dirty hand unexpectedly clamped tightly over her mouth. Opening her eyes, she found herself staring into the malevolent face of pure wickedness.

“Don’t make a noise or I will slit your throat,” he hissed like a deadly viper.

Kahlan couldn’t stop the trembling fear that rolled through her as Ike moved to straddle her, pinning her onto the bed. She was afraid to even draw a breath for fear the steel would slice right through her skin.

He rested his knees on either side of her legs as he leaned in close to her. The foul stench of his drunken breath against her face made her want to vomit, but it was the lethal intent in his venomous eyes that caused terror to sharply spike through her veins.

“We’re going to have a little fun you and I,” he smirked, dragging his tongue across his lips. “And when I’m through with you, I’m going to find that friend of yours that interfered the other night and gut him like a pig.”

Kahlan couldn’t stop the tears from reaching her eyes as she thought about this man on top of her hurting Richard. She didn’t know how he’d been able to get into her room with all of Rahl’s men standing guard around the saloon, but he was here now and there was little she could do to stop him with this beast pinning her down. She’d have to go along with whatever he wanted for now, no matter how horrible it would be.

As long as he was here with her, then he couldn’t get to Richard.

Keeping the knife pressed against her throat, Ike slowly took his hand away from her mouth, his breath hot against her face as he stared at her. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured in admiration, his hand finding her hair and fingering the silky raven strands. “You just prance around that saloon in those revealing dresses, teasing and taunting us, getting us all hot and worked up just to turn around and deny us.

“Well, I’m not going to be denied this time. I’m going to take what I want. Then, I’m going to find your friend and tell him every little thing that I did to you as I carve him up like a Christmas goose.”

“Please…don’t hurt him,” Kahlan whispered, fighting back tears. “Do whatever you want to me, but please don’t hurt him.”

Ike laughed in her face, his greasy hair falling into his eyes as his dirt stained hand caressed her cheek. “Don’t worry your pretty little head, sweetheart. I plan on doing whatever I want with you. And as for your friend, well, he already decided his fate the moment that he stepped in and made a fool of me in front of everyone.”

“He didn’t make a fool out of you,” Kahlan adamantly protested. “He was just trying to help me.”

“He should’ve kept his nose out of it,” he sneered. “Nobody gets in the way of what I want.”

“But you know I belong to Darken Rahl,” she tried again, fighting to keep her voice from trembling with the fear that gripped her. “If he finds out you were in here or that you raped me, he’d have you tortured and killed.”

“He’s gone for the night, headed out to the Cypher ranch hours ago,” Ike grinned. “It’s just you and me tonight, little darling. By the time Darken Rahl returns, I’ll be long gone.”

Kahlan’s mind froze, her body numb as he began to pull back the covers. She had to think of a way out of this, something that would buy her more time. She began to squirm beneath him as he ran his grimy hand over her nightdress but he was much bigger than her, more powerful. 

He kept the knife pointed as her throat as his lustful gaze roamed over her, his hand quickly following. Tears began to leak from the corners of her eyes as she struggled to break free from his hold on her. She could scarcely believe that this was really happening.

His hand was suddenly on stroking her arm, pushing the strap of her nightdress off of her shoulder. She squeezed her eyes shut, clenching her teeth, her every muscle paralyzed with the terrifying realization of what this animal was about to do to her.

“Please don’t do this,” she begged as he touched her. “I didn’t want to do it, but Rahl made me dress like that.”

“Well, it worked now didn’t it?”

Laying the knife aside, Ike began to pull at her nightdress with one hand, the other reaching for his belt. Kahlan began to scratch at him, trying to shove him off of her, but the more she fought, the more he seemed to like it.

She knew that there was no use screaming for help. Ike had likely killed the men guarding her. It would’ve been the only way he could’ve gotten in here without anyone knowing.

Looking to the side, Kahlan spotted the knife lying on the bedside table. She tried lunging for it, but he caught her wrist, a sadistic laugh filling her ears.

“Nice try, sweetheart, but it’s time to give me what I want,” he sneered, backhanding her hard across the face.

Dazed, Kahlan struggled to think of something to stop this, but her mind refused to cooperate. Fear clouded her brain, panic gripped her heart as he began to untie the laces of his pants.

Thoughts of Richard suddenly flooded her mind, creating a temporary tranquility within her. She couldn’t let this animal hurt the man that had so fully captured her heart, the one who had given her bright hope of a better future, a life spent with him.

“Keep fighting, darling,” he drawled as he pushed her nightdress up. “I like it when women put up a fight.”

With a sudden thought, Kahlan reached beneath her pillow, searching frantically for the knife that Cara had given her. Brushing against the hard steel of the weapon, her fingers quickly latched onto it. In one swift motion, she brought the knife down in Ike’s thigh causing him to howl in pain.

Before he could react, she pulled it free only to drive it back into his leg to the hilt again. Ike screamed in agony, rolling off of her. Kahlan pulled the knife out before quickly crawling back away from him. Pointing her weapon at him, she watched as blood ran from his wounded leg onto her bed.

“Stay away from me,” she sneered, her chest heaving, her lip bleeding from him hitting her.

“You dumb whore!” he howled. “I’m going to rape you good and then I’m going to cut you to pieces.”

Fueled by rage, Ike lunged for her just as Kahlan leapt from the bed. She slowly backed up into a corner of the room, her knife pointed menacingly at him. Seething with anger, he began to make his way towards her, his fists clenched tightly as blood continued to run down his leg and onto the wooden floor.

“That knife is not going to keep me from making you pay for what you did,” he snarled, his face red with fury.

“No, but I will.”

A shot suddenly rang through the air just a moment before Ike dropped to the floor. Kahlan looked up from the man lying dead before her to find Cara standing in the doorway, a gun in her hand.

“Are you alright?” Cara asked as she dropped the gun and quickly made her way to her.

Kahlan couldn’t stop shaking as Cara carefully took the knife from her hand. “How…how did you know he was in here?” she murmured in shock as tears pooled in her eyes.

“I found Rahl’s men dead, their throats cut,” Cara told her. “Then I heard Ike scream so I grabbed one of the guard’s guns and ran in here.”

“Thank you, Cara,” Kahlan numbly replied, her gaze locked on the dead man lying at her feet.

She quickly pulled her into her arms as Kahlan broke down in heart-rending sobs. She carefully lowered her to the ground, holding her like a mother would comfort their child, rubbing her back and rocking her back and forth. 

Cara wondered where Richard was at that moment, knowing that Kahlan needed him right now. Unfortunately, she had a pretty good idea of where he was. She feared that they’d never see Richard ever again.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My very first AU fic! Team Seeker and gang set in the Wild Wild West. Hope you enjoy the adventure!

Chapter 10

Richard’s head lolled to the side as he slowly opened his eyes as cold realization began to creep to the surface of his subconscious. His head throbbed in perfect unison with every beat of his heart as he tried to get his mind to focus. His vision slowly cleared as he looked around to find himself in the barn surrounded by crates. Ribbons of bright morning sunlight streamed in through the layers of dirt that coated the windows.

His head felt so muddled and heavy, his tongue thick. He attempted to move but found himself tried to a chair, a low groan escaping from somewhere behind telling him that Chase was in much the same condition as he was. Tied up like he was behind Chase, it was difficult to tell, though.

Richard struggled against the ropes that held him hostage, attempting to break free as icy dread shivered through him. It was morning already. Kahlan’s wedding was swiftly approaching as was her death if he didn’t do something to get out of here and stop her in time. Getting to her was all that really mattered to him now.

“Chase!” he softly growled.

A low rumbling groan was his only response this time as the sheriff began to finally stir, awareness slowly rising to replace the thick hazy fog that enveloped him. Richard could feel him begin to tug and pull on his ropes as Chase tried to move.

“Richard?” he muttered, his voice groggy. “What happened?”

“We go caught that’s what happened,” he snapped as he twisted his wrists in a futile attempt to break lose. “We have to get out of here. The wedding is in a few hours.”

“I don’t think we’re going anywhere,” Chase grimaced, fighting to clear the cobwebs from his brain.

“We have to find a way to get free before they come back to kill us,” Richard told him. “Then, Kahlan has no chance.”

“Richard, what are you two doing here?”

Richard looked up to find Michael sneaking in from the back, a scowl etched on his face as he crouched low behind a crate. “We’re trying to stop Darken Rahl…unlike you,” he retorted.

Michael’s eyes grew hard as he finally straightened up, drawing a little closer to his brother. “You don’t know anything about it, Richard,” he spat out. “You’re naïve if you think you can say no to Darken Rahl.”

“There’s always a choice, Michael,” Richard reminded him. “You could’ve come home. We would’ve helped you.”

“And bring trouble upon the family?” he snorted. “I was trying to keep you both out of this.”

“It looks like your plan didn’t work,” he bristled. “Father paid the price for your involvement with Rahl whether intentional or not.”

“Don’t you think I wish I could change what happened? It was because of me that our father was murdered like that,” Michael growled at him. “If I had known what Darken Rahl was planning to do to him, I would’ve done something to stop him. Instead, I have to live every day of my life knowing that father was killed because of me.”

Richard’s eye flickered to the silver chain hanging from his brother’s vest pocket. “And yet you still manage to carry his silver pocket watch that they took from him when they killed him.”

Michael looked down, taking the watch from his vest pocket. “Nass brought it back to me…streaked with our father’s blood on it,” he said, his voice suddenly soft, tears pooling in his eyes as he caressed the smooth metal with his thumb. “I didn’t know what to do, Richard. I was…afraid. I had no idea if they had killed you as well or what else Rahl would possibly do.”

“You could’ve come to me, Michael,” Chase interjected from behind Richard. “I would’ve done whatever I could’ve to help you.”

“You don’t know what that man is capable of, Chase,” Michael bitterly replied, a mask of horror filling his face. “Once he gets a hold of you…he owns your soul. There’s no way out except for death.”

“There is always a way,” Richard flatly stated, unsympathetic despite the obvious guilt that suddenly clouded his brother’s eyes.

“Not always,” Michael murmured, shaking his head. “Not for me.”

“Michael, let us go and we’ll help you,” Richard insisted. “We’ll stop him. We won’t let him destroy your life too.”

“It…it’s too late for me, Richard.”

“Michael, listen to me,” he demanded, his panic rising knowing that time was swiftly running out for Kahlan if it hadn’t already. “Rahl can’t be allowed to continue ruining people’s lives like this. Kahlan is being forced to marry Darken Rahl. She doesn’t deserve to be condemned to a life like that. No one does.”

Michael stared at his brother, noticing for once the fear that filled him, the intense emotion that stormed in his warm brown eyes as he spoke about Kahlan. “You really do love Kahlan Amnell,” he frowned, stunned by the revelation. “I thought Rahl was just being paranoid with his delusion.”

“I know it sounds crazy because I just met her a couple of days ago, but I feel like I’ve known her my whole life. I do love her, Michael,” Richard told him. “That’s why I have to get to her to save her.”

Michael’s gaze suddenly hardened once more, his entire body stiffening. “It’s suicide, Richard. Rahl will have your head. She’s not worth losing your life over.”

“She is to me,” he ground out, his chest beginning to heave. “Besides, stopping Rahl will free you as well.”

“We don’t have a lot of time here,” Chase suddenly announced. “You need to decide once and for all where you’re going to stand. Whose side are you going to choose, Michael?”

\----------

Lighting a cigarette, Demmin Nass came to a stop before five of his men standing guard outside of the barn. “Darken Rahl wants us to dispose of these two and get back to town before his wedding. He wants to make sure that nothing gets in the way of marrying Kahlan today.”

“I wouldn’t mind taming her myself,” one of them smirked in response, elbowing the man next to him.

“You’d better get that thought right out of our head,” Nass spat out as they entered the barn. “She belongs to Rahl. No one will be allowed to touch her especially after what happened last night.”

“What happened?”

“Ike attacked her last night, roughed her pretty good,” Nass informed them. “Rahl’s furious. He’s increased security all over the saloon. He doesn’t want anyone getting near her.”

Demmin came to an abrupt stop, stunned to find no sign of their prisoners. The only indication that Richard and Chase had even been there was the two chairs in the back of the barn and the rope lying uselessly on the floor.

“Where could they have gone?” Nass sneered.

“They must have escaped out the back somehow.”

“I told you to make sure the back of the barn was secure,” Nass glowered at them.

“They were tied up,” one replied with a shrug. “We didn’t think they could get out.”

“Well, you thought wrong,” Demmin spat out, grabbing the man by the collar of his shirt. “Find them. They couldn’t have gone far.”

“Actually, you don’t have to look very far, gentlemen,” Chase suddenly announced, his deep booming voice filling the barn as he stepped out from behind a tower of crates.

Nass and his men froze at the sight of Chase, Richard, and Michael standing before them, their guns drawn and aimed directly at them. All three cocked their guns at the same time, their fingers coming to rest on the triggers. They were more than prepared for a fight.

Demmin slowly raised his hands, a low chuckle rising from deep within his chest. A wide grin spread across his broad face, his dark eyes dancing with amusement. He took a step forward, causing all three men to immediately tense.

“Michael, Michael,” Nass tisked. “I should’ve known you were too weak to see this through to the end. I must admit, though. I thought that murdering your father would’ve proven to you what happens if you attempt to cross us.”

“You didn’t have to kill him!” Michael shouted. “I was doing what Rahl wanted. You didn’t have to involve my family.”

“Yes, but we had to ensure that you weren’t going to change your mind,” Demmin informed him.

“He never did anything to you,” Richard seethed. “He was a kind man who never hurt anyone.”

Nass chuckled as he slowly took another step closer, his gaze now locked on Richard. “Do you want to know what your father’s last words were as I drove my knife into his gut and split him open?”

Richard began to tremble with the rage that seared through his veins at that moment, his breaths coming out in exerted pulls as he fought against the urge to pull the trigger. Finding his father hanging from that tree, having to cut him down and bury him had been the hardest thing he’d ever had to do in his entire life.

Seeing Richard’s reaction, Nass continued, lowering his hands. “He begged me over and over again not to hurt you,” he told him, his gaze cold and depraved as his soul. “His only thought was of you.”

Richard growled, tears stinging his eyes as his gun began to shake ever so subtly in his hand. His bottom lip began to tremble as a tear suddenly broke free to slowly trickle down his cheek. “He didn’t deserve to be murdered!” he shouted, clenching his jaw. “You took him away from us!”

“He never even tried to fight back or asked why, never asked us to spare his life,” Nass smirked. “He was only worried about his boys.”

Michael suddenly took a step forward then, tears filling his eyes as well. “I’m going to kill you, Nass!” he yelled. “I should’ve done it long ago.”

“You think your quick enough to go up against me?” he taunted, his fingers slowly inching closer to his holstered gun.

“We’ll soon find out, won’t we?” Michael retorted.

Nass and his men immediately went for their guns, the barn erupting in a shower of bullets as everyone dove for cover behind crates. Richard, Chase, and Michael quickly began returning fire, picking off each of Rahl’s men in a matter of minutes.

The barn was suddenly quiet as the smoke began to clear, Richard cautiously easing out from behind a stack of crates to assess the damage done. Looking at the bodies strewn before him, he felt a great measure of satisfaction finding Demmin Nass lying on the ground, a bullet hole right between his eyes. 

He walked over to him, leaning down to look at him. He didn’t know which one of them had actually been the one to kill him, but it didn’t matter. He felt a sudden sense of relief knowing that the man who had killed his father was finally dead.

Standing to his feet, Richard turned towards Michael and Chase. “You made the right choice, Michael,” he told his brother as he holstered his revolver.

“I’m just sorry I didn’t make the decision sooner,” he replied. “If I had, then maybe our father would still be alive.”

“You don’t know that for certain, Michael,” Richard told him. “Rahl could’ve done any number of things if you had chosen to stand against him.”

“At least father received some justice now that Nass is dead,” Michael said. “Now, we just have to find Darken Rahl and stop the wedding before it’s too late.”

XXX

Sitting before the mirror brushing her hair, Kahlan felt a sick knot twisting more painfully in the pit of her stomach with every moment that passed by with no sign of Richard. He had been missing since last night and she had no idea where he was. She knew that if he had been at the saloon last night, he would’ve come to stop Ike, to at least comfort her.

She attempted to stifle the sob that was stuck in her throat, the tears that kept creeping closer and closer to the surface. She had been so scared last night when Ike had attacked her. If Cara hadn’t shown up when she did, there was no telling what Ike would’ve done to her. 

But Kahlan somehow knew it paled mightily to what Darken Rahl had in store for her tonight.

Pausing to look at her reflection in the mirror, she was stunned by the intense sorrow that she found staring back at her, the fear that swam in those blue orbs. She was terrified for Richard, for what could be happening to him at that moment.

She lightly ran her finger along the bruise that was already forming on her face from where Ike had hit her last night. The corners of her lips abruptly turned up ever so subtly, remembering the deep anger that had filled Richard’s eyes when he had seen the bruises on her arm last evening, knowing that Rahl had caused them. 

It had filled her with such overwhelming joy knowing that someone actually cared that much about what happened to her, wanted to take care of her. A sense of longing washed through her as she closed her eyes, picturing Richard’s handsome face, the strong line of his jaw, the warmth that filled his chocolate eyes whenever he looked at her.

She softly ran her finger over her lips, remembering his kisses that had only briefly hinted at the heated passion storming inside of him. She remembered how his taste had lingered on her tongue that night, his musky scent filling her senses as she had finally drifted off to sleep.

How she had longed for Richard to be there holding her after Rahl had visited her room that night, questioning her and forcing himself on her like he had. She was so thankful Rahl had stopped when he had. She had feared what would’ve happened to Richard if he had tried to come and stop him.

Now, though, she had no idea where he was or if he was even still alive.

The sudden feel of a hand on her shoulder caused her jump, a cry of surprise escaping her lips as her eyes flew open. Looking in the mirror, she noticed Darken Rahl standing behind her, his hand softly caressing her shoulder.

She quickly pulled her robe closed as she fought to banish thoughts of the man she loved from her mind. She couldn’t let Rahl know about Richard. She was terrified of what he would do to him if he ever found out.

“I’m sorry to have startled you,” Rahl calmly said, both hands coming to rest on her shoulders. “I was just coming to check on you, see how you were feeling on your wedding day.”

“I’m fine,” was her clipped response as she quickly picked up her brush and began brushing her hair again. “You shouldn’t be here. It’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding.”

“I don’t believe in luck,” Rahl smoothly replied, leaning in closer to her. “You look exquisite, Kahlan. I can hardly wait to see you in your wedding dress…or out of it.”

“You really should go,” she coolly told him. “I have a lot to do to get ready for today. I want to look beautiful on my wedding day.”

Rahl leaned in, nuzzling his nose against her cheek and inhaling deeply. “You know, Kahlan, you’re going to make an excellent wife. Just remember to do as I say and I will make sure that you have a very happy, very long life.”

Kahlan bristled as he kissed her ear, his tongue and teeth playing with the lobe as his fingers began to slide through her hair. She ground her teeth, fighting the overwhelming urge to shove him away, but she knew that she couldn’t. She had to play along for now until she knew what had happened to Richard.

“Did your business meeting go well last night?” she innocently asked, changing the subject of their future together as husband and wife.

It was Rahl’s turn to stiffen as he suddenly straightened up, his hands finding her shoulders again as he stared at her radiant reflection in the mirror. “Well enough,” he bit out, his fingers beginning to tighten their hold on her shoulders.

Kahlan smiled pleasantly, doing her best to remain indifferent despite her desperate need to find out what had happened to Richard. “I’m glad there weren’t any problems,” she replied.

His fingers dug painfully into her shoulder as his other hand slid towards her neck. His long fingers wrapped around her throat, startling her, but she refused to allow him to see her fear. Besides, if he killed her, he would be saving her from having to marry him.

Rahl leaned in close once more, his lips whispering against the shell of her ear. “If you are wondering about the wellbeing of your Richard Cypher, you can rest assured that he’s dead.”

Kahlan couldn’t suppress the tremble that rippled through her or the tears that suddenly brimmed in her eyes. “I…I don’t know…what you’re talking about,” she whispered, overwhelming grief making it difficult to breathe let alone speak.

“Oh but I think that you do, my beloved,” he purred, his breath hot against her skin, his fingers tightening around her throat. “One of my men caught him and the sheriff snooping outside of one of the barns at Michael’s ranch. Nass should have taken care of disposing of them by now.”

Kahlan tried to swallow past the painful lump in her throat, tears rising and threatening to drown her in her anguish. It couldn’t be true. Richard couldn’t be dead. If he was dead, then her future, her life was truly over. There was no more reason to live. The only thing she loved and lived for was now gone.

“Don’t expect anyone to come to your rescue, Kahlan,” Rahl informed her, his voice smooth like silk and yet cold like ice. “You are mine and I am going to have you tonight whether you chose to participate or not. You can either enjoy it or fight me. It’s your choice, but I will have you either way.”

Releasing his hold on her, Rahl turned to leave, coming to an abrupt stop at the door. “I’ll be anxiously waiting for you at the altar, my love,” he sweetly said, a sinful smile on his lips.

Hearing the door finally close behind her, Kahlan broke down in uncontrollable sobs, a horrifying sense of loss twisting painfully deep into her heart. The light had just been extinguished from her life, her whole world suddenly growing inexplicably darker knowing now that Richard was dead.

The love that she had found in Richard had just been lost.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My very first AU fic! Team Seeker and gang set in the Wild Wild West. Hope you enjoy the adventure!

Chapter 11

Riding towards town, Richard couldn’t stop the thundering pace of his heart that seemed to match the stampeding beat of his horse’s hooves. He was beyond terrified about what he might find when he finally reached the saloon.

“Please, Kahlan,” he whispered to himself, praying that she could somehow hear his desperate plea. “Don’t give up on us…please...”

He drew a sharp, shuddering breath against the painful knot that suddenly filled his throat and the vice-like grip that panic held on his chest making it difficult to draw air. He leaned further in his horse’s withers, allowing the wind to glide over him as he became one with his mount.

He suddenly felt as though his world was crumbling down around him all over again. After his father’s death, he feared at times that he would never know true happiness ever again, the shattered pieces of his heart never to be mended.

But then he had met Kahlan and warmth and light began to gently filter back into his life once more. She had somehow managed to reach inside and gather up the jagged pieces his father’s death had left behind and began to knit it back together again.

He never knew that love could ever be like this, suddenly shooting across his inky black sky of grief like a bright shining star, blinding and consuming him, enveloping him in her radiant beauty and warmth.

What was even more startling to him was the fact that she felt something in return for him. Kahlan was falling in love with him. The corners of his lips curled at the amazing thought, a feeling of sweet longing flooding his system and warming him clear to his toes. 

He knew without a second thought that he’d move heaven and earth just to see her smile at him, to see the love and desire simmering in those brilliant blue eyes directed at him. What he wouldn’t do, the lengths that he would go to just be with her, to build a life with her.

But he couldn’t do that if he didn’t get to her in time. He couldn’t let her down. Her father had failed her. Darken Rahl had failed her. Richard swore on his very life that he would not fail her. He would be the one who would save her.

Gritting his teeth, he urged his horse on, the wind abruptly knocking his hat off to bounce gently against his back. He had no idea how he was going to stop Darken Rahl, only that he had to do whatever it took to protect Kahlan.

Chase had told him last night that he had to decide what kind of man he wanted to be, but apart from Kahlan he didn’t know who he was. He did know what kind of man that he wanted to be for her, the kind of man that he knew she deserved to love her.

Richard suddenly leapt from his horse before he came to a complete stop, ignoring Chase and Michael’s pleading calls of his name in a futile attempt to stop him. No one was going to keep him from getting to her.

He raced into the saloon, panting heavily as he made his way up the stairs, taking the steps two at a time to get to her room. He didn’t pause to notice the saloon was completely empty, none of Rahl’s men there keeping watch.

Reaching Kahlan’s room, Richard slowly opened the door, coming to an abrupt stop with what he found greeting him. Her bed was a tangled mess, blood staining the sheets. His heart leapt in his throat as he quickly gripped the door frame, his fingernails digging into the wood as his frantic gaze fell on the large red pool of blood on the floor.

“No,” he gasped, tears suddenly burning his eyes as he fought to remain upright. “Kahlan?”

He entered on trembling legs, frantic to find some sort of sign that she was still alive as he scanned the room. “Kahlan!” he called again louder this time, chest beginning to heave from the fury inundating him.

He was met with nothing but silence and the sound of his own panicked breaths. He ran to the back changing room to find it empty as well except for some of her dresses that Rahl forced her to wear. 

Chase and Michael came to an abrupt stop in the doorway, both stunned by what they found. Chase immediately entered as Richard came out of the dressing room. The look of sheer anguish that was etched in his face spoke volumes of what was going on inside of him at that moment.

“Richard,” Chase cautiously approached, his hand finding his shoulder. “We don’t know anything yet. This might not even be Kahlan’s blood.”

Paralyzed in a state of horrified panic, he finally turned to look at the sheriff. “Where could she be, Chase?” his voice cracking with the firestorm of emotions raging through him at that moment.

“I don’t know, but we’ll find her, Richard,” Chase firmly said, trying to bring his friend out of the bewildered fog that held him hostage. “We won’t stop until we find her.”

Richard slowly nodded his head, swallowing back his heart. “Michael, where could Rahl have taken her?”

Just then Zedd walked in with a mop and bucket in hand. “Zedd!” Richard cried at the sight of the old bartender. “What happened here? Where’s Kahlan?”

“Ike attacked her last night,” Zedd grimly announced, setting down his bucket to lean on the handle of his mop. “Roughed her up a bit, but she’s alright for the most part.”

Richard released a ragged sigh of relief as he sank onto the edge of the bed. He was enraged that she had been attacked, but relieved that she was alive.

“What happened to Ike?” Chase asked.

“Cara found some of Rahl’s men dead, their throats slit,” Zedd replied. “She found him in here attacking Kahlan and shot him dead. 

“If anyone deserved it, it was Ike. He was planning to rape Kahlan, slice her up and then go after Richard for interfering the other night.”

Richard leaned forward placing his elbows on his knees as he held his head in his hands. He wanted to throw up with what he had just learned. He ached to hold her, to feel her body molded to him, her soft skin pressed against his and knowing that she was finally safe with him.

“Where is she now, Zedd?” he finally asked, raising his head.

“Darken Rahl’s ranch,” he said. “Wedding is going to be there in a couple of hours.”

“I thought it was going to be here,” Chase frowned.

Zedd nodded. “It was going to be here until last night. After Ike’s attack, Rahl had Kahlan taken to his ranch where she’d be safer. He moved the wedding there too.”

“We have to get out there and stop it,” Richard growled as he leapt to his feet.

“Richard, wait,” Michael suddenly stopped him with a firm hand against his chest. “You seriously can’t be thinking about riding out there. That would be like riding straight into hell to tangle with the devil.”

“I’m tired of waiting, Michael,” he bit out, his rage running in hot waves through him. “I’ve waited six long weeks to avenge our father’s death and I’ve waited long enough to set Kahlan free from this monster who bought her like she was nothing more than some animal.

“Kahlan is running out of time. You can either get out of my way and let me save the woman I love or you can come with me.”

Michael stared at his brother, appraising him for a long moment. He released a heavy sigh before finally responding, his hand falling away from Richard’s chest. “You always were stubborn especially when your mind is made up. How do you plan on stopping it?”

“We have to be careful,” Chase shook his head. “He’s not going to just give her over willingly.”

“As much as I hate the thought, I may have to buy her back from him,” Richard ground out.

“With what?” Michael asked, stunned. “You don’t have any money, Richard.”

“I sold our ranch,” he stated.

Michael’s eyes went wide with shock. “You sold the ranch? How could do something like that?”

“Our father was murdered, you were gone, Michael!” Richard angrily reminded him. “What exactly was I supposed to do? I couldn’t stay there any longer after what had happened to him.

“You didn’t come home to find him like that or have to cut him down from that tree and bury him all alone. I couldn’t stay after that, Michael. I sold everything and left to find you, to track down whoever had killed our father.”

“I’m sorry, Richard,” Michael softly murmured, his shoulders slumping. “You did the right thing. You can stay with me as long as you want.”

“Only if we survive this little revolt we’re planning,” Chase reminded them.

“I didn’t come this far to give up now,” Richard firmly stated.

“Well, I have enough to arrest Darken Rahl on,” Chase admitted. “I just don’t have enough back up to be able to go in there against him and his men as heavily armed as they are.”

“We can’t wait for Aydindril to show up,” Richard shook his head. “We have to go now.”

Leaving Kahlan’s room, Richard came to a sudden stop as Darken Rahl suddenly entered the saloon, a handful of his men following him. A smirk slowly spread across Rahl’s face as he stared down Richard, his hands coming to rest on his hips.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” Rahl drawled, quirking a dark eyebrow. “Looking for someone, Richard?”

Richard slowly descended the steps, his eyes fixed on Rahl. “I want Kahlan,” he firmly said as he stared at the man who stood in the way of what he wanted more than life itself. “Let her go, Rahl.”

A loud rolling laugh spilled from Rahl’s lips. It was cold and derisive, degrading in its tone further igniting Richard’s anger. “I don’t think so,” he smugly said. “I didn’t buy her just to hand her over to you.”

“She deserves better than you,” Richard stated as he came to a stop, keeping plenty of distance between him and Rahl.

“And you think she deserves someone like you?” he shot back with a smirk, his dark gaze sizing him up.

“I love her…unlike you who just wants to use her for the pleasure she can bring you,” he spat out between barely controlled pants of rage.

“Ah, and what supreme pleasure she’ll be bringing me tonight,” Rahl tormented, his eyes temporarily closing as a dreamy expression passed over his face. “Too bad for you that you’ll never know her like I will. I’m going to tame her like she should’ve been tamed long ago.”

“I will die before I let you lay a single finger on her,” Richard sneered, taking a threatening step forward.

“She already believes that you’re dead so she’ll never know the difference.”

Richard’s body immediately tensed with Rahl’s words, his muscles coiled tight and ready for a fight. “What?”

“I told her that Nass killed you and the sheriff,” he informed him. “She tried her best to hide it, but she was quite devastated by the news.”

“No,” Richard softly gasped under his breath.

If Kahlan thought that he was dead, then she really would give up all hope of escaping. She’d take her life before being forced into a brutal loveless marriage with Darken Rahl. He had to get to her before it was too late.

Rahl’s smirk deepened at the look of horror that passed over Richard’s face with the unexpected news. “Nass obviously failed in getting rid of you, but I won’t,” he snapped, his eyes growing even darker as he swiftly reached for his gun.

In less than a heartbeat, everyone went for their weapons. Richard dove behind a table as bullets began to whiz past his head. He cast a glance to his left to find Chase and Michael diving for cover as well. He knew that this was one chance to rid Kahlan and the world of Darken Rahl and he was not about to let it escape, wasn’t going to let the love of a lifetime slip through his fingers now.

Tipping the table over, he watched as Rahl and his men ducked behind tables and chairs as well. It was going to be a show down with only one winner and Richard was going to make sure that Rahl lost.

“You’re not walking out of here alive so you might as well give up now,” Rahl shouted at him.

Richard responded with a shower of bullets that caused the table Rahl was concealed behind to splinter. He could hear a curse escape from Rahl’s lips bringing a small smile to his own. “I think it’ll be you who isn’t going to walk out of here today,” Richard shot back.

Rahl responded in return with a round of bullets, one of which grazed Richard’s arm. He hissed in pain as blood began to ooze from the fresh wound, his hand going to his arm as he put pressure on it.

“Richard!” Michael hissed, seeing his brother wounded.

“I’m alright,” he softly shook his head as he breathed through the pain.

“I’m going to make you pay for interfering in my business!” Rahl roared.

Richard peered over the table, firing his gun. One by one, Rahl’s men began to fall, giving Richard hope that they were going to make it through this, bringing him that much closer to getting Kahlan back.

He began to inch his way closer to Rahl when a sudden cry tore his attention away from his ultimate destination. He turned to find Michael lying on the ground, blood blossoming beneath him on the wooden floor. 

“Michael!” he cried as he quickly crawled towards his fallen brother, keeping low to the ground.

“Richard,” his brother softly gasped, wincing as pain tore through him. “Richard, I’m sorry…”

“Michael, stay with me,” Richard ordered as he gathered him up in his arms. “You’re going to be alright…you have to be alright.”

“Richard…I’m so sorry…for everything…” he gasped, his face contorted with pain as he grabbed hold of his brother’s hand.

“No, Michael!” Richard growled. “Don’t you die on me now! Don’t leave me alone!”

“You…were always…the better brother, the better son…” he murmured, his voice growing weaker. “You have a good heart, Richard. Never lose that. Now…go save your…Kahlan.”

Chase watched as Richard held Michael to his chest, tears rolling down his cheeks. His heart constricted with the pain that was so very evident in Richard’s face. He had endured so much in his young life, more than anyone should ever have to go through. 

Richard’s head fell back, a strangled sob rising from deep in his throat and echoing through the room as he held his dead brother in his arms. He had just gotten him back only to lose him all over again.

“Stop this now, Richard,” Rahl yelled. “You’ve lost your father and now your brother. You’re going to be next.”

“Not if I have anything to say about it!” Chase growled, knocking his table over and racing towards Rahl.

A shot rang out suddenly dropping Chase to the ground. He quickly rolled to his side, firing at the last of Rahl’s men and dropping him with a bullet to his chest. “You’re next Rahl!” Chase sneered, fighting to catch the breath the pain that seared through his arm was stealing away.

Lying Michael down, Richard stood to his feet, his body trembling with the rage and grief that inundated him. Although never really close, Michael had still been his brother, had still been his family.

“This is between you and me, Rahl!” Richard yelled as he shoved his gun into his holster. “Get out here and face me!”

A low undulating chuckle slowly drifted through the air, dark and evil. “Come out and face you?” he questioned him. “So the sheriff can shoot me when my back is turned? I think not.”

“This doesn’t involve Chase,” Richard seethed. “You had my father murdered, killed my brother, and took the woman that I love. The least you can do is face me…or are you a coward?”

The table he was hiding behind suddenly turned over, Rahl standing to his feet. “I am no coward,” he snarled. “If you want me, you’ve got me.”

“Richard!” Chase warned, shaking his head as he staggered to his feet, his hand on his bloody shoulder.

“I’m fine, Chase,” he calmly replied, his raptor gaze searing through the monster standing before him.

“Not for long,” Rahl scowled, taking his jacket off. “This will be fun.”

The two men slowly circled each other, each burning a hole through the other with their heated glares. Rahl suddenly dove at Richard, his fist connecting with his jaw and sending him sprawling to the floor. Rahl threw his head back, laughing with how easily his foe had fallen.

“I can’t wait to tell Kahlan how easily I beat the man that she loves,” he told him. “I am sorry that you’ll miss hearing her screams as I take her over and over and over again. I’m going to break her down until there’s nothing left.”

With a deep animalistic growl, Richard lunged for the man gloating over him, knocking him back as they both crashed through a table. His fists pounded into Rahl as his fury thundered through his veins, a primal cry tearing from his throat with his every blow.

“You will never touch her!” Richard roared, his rage punctuating every word as his fists connected with Rahl’s face.

Rahl was barely able to get a swing in as Richard beat him bloody, his bottled up anger and grief being poured into every single blow he delivered. The wound in his arm was quickly forgotten as the wounds in his heart took control of his body.

Powerful hands suddenly gripped him from behind, pulling him off of Rahl. “Richard…that’s enough,” Chase yelled at him, dragging him off.

Richard stared at the near unconscious Rahl lying on the ground, blood splattered on his face and clothes. His eye was already swelling shut, his lip split, cuts covering his face. A soft chuckle still managed to escape as his head rolled slowly from side to side.

Richard fought to catch his breath, his chest heaving with the fury that possessed him. He looked down at his fists, his knuckles raw and bloody from the beating he’d just given the monster that would hurt Kahlan. He had never beaten a man like that before, nearly taking a life with his own hands.

He felt a sudden rush of bile in the back of his throat with what he had done, but he swallowed it back, thankful that Chase had stopped him when he had. He didn’t want to be that kind of man.

“It’s alright, Richard,” Chase reassured him, gripping his shoulders to steady his friend. “It’s over now.”

Richard slowly nodded his head as he heard the click of a revolver behind him. In a single swift motion, he drew his gun as he spun on his heel and fired, striking Rahl right in the center of his forehead. Rahl dropped his gun as he fell back dead, a look of shock frozen on his face.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My very first AU fic! Team Seeker and gang set in the Wild Wild West. Hope you enjoy the adventure!

Chapter 12

With nervous fingers, Kahlan finished the last of the pearl buttons on the back of her wedding dress. Through eyes awash in tears, she moved to stand before the mirror, her hands smoothing over the pristine white satin, wishing more than anything that this was all for Richard. 

With an unexpected flutter in her stomach, she suddenly remembered how he had looked upon her in this very dress a couple of days ago, the warm desire that swam in those deep chestnut eyes that seemed to know her so completely.

She remembered the overwhelming desire to kiss him, how badly she had wanted him to take her away from here and never look back again. He had appeared somewhat nervous as he had talked to her, his eyes full such curious wonderment as he had stared at her.

She felt herself flush even now with the obvious draw she had felt between them, the exhilaration that had heated the very air around them every time she was near him. She had never felt anything like it until him. 

Brushing a lock of hair behind her ear, she bit her bottom lip in a futile effort to keep the threatening tears at bay. Richard wasn’t going to be coming for her, wouldn’t be there to save her from the terrifying fate that awaited her. He wasn’t here to love her, to hold her, to build a life with her.

Richard was gone…forever.

A shuddering sob suddenly filled the room as tears spilled down her cheeks again. How was she supposed to go on without him? He had swept so unexpectedly into her life showing her compassion and love like she’d never experienced before. Her life had been devoid of love for so long, leaving her so very cold and lonely, but Richard had opened her eyes as well as her heart to a whole new world.

It was like being reborn, her heart long buried beneath a protective wall of ice only to be suddenly shown the full brilliance of the sun’s heated rays. He had awakened within her a deep need, a yearning to know love as well as a lover’s tender touch.

She never wanted to go back to the way that her life had been, the way that she had felt before she had met him. She had been so dead inside, a cold and barren wasteland of heartache and pain and loneliness.

But now he was dead and it was all because of her. If Richard had never met her then he would still be alive right now.

Her legs suddenly gave out on her with the thought, giving way under the unbearable weight of grief. Collapsing to the floor, she repeatedly slammed her fists against the wooden floor as she wept bitter angry tears. Why had he been taken from her? Why had he been brought into her life only to be snatched away?

Wasn’t she allowed to know love for just once in her life?

Breathing hard, she shifted her position, pulling out the knife hidden in her boot. Sitting back on her heels, she sat there for the longest time just staring at the blade, turning it over in her trembling hands. Richard had been so upset when he had found out what she had been planning to do if he couldn’t save her, but she knew in her heart that she couldn’t go through with the wedding to Rahl.

“I’m so sorry, Richard,” she sobbed, the heaviness of her pain and guilt crushing her heart.

She longed to see his beautiful brown eyes that seemed to see directly into her very soul, to feel the brush of his lips against hers that hinted at what would come someday. She wanted to feel his powerful hands gripping her, to feel the urgent hunger in his touch.

She lightly ran her finger along the length of the cool steel, knowing that she’d rather be dead than ever submit herself to Rahl and all that he had in store for her, the pain and humiliation that he would force her to endure as he broke her spirit. She’d suffered enough at the hands of her father. She had sworn to herself that she would not be controlled like that ever again.

And if she couldn’t be with Richard, then she didn’t want to live.

XXX

Gun drawn, Richard cautiously eased around the corner, his eyes darting anxiously about. He and Chase had managed to surprise Rahl’s men guarding the ranch, sneaking in and taking them down with little trouble.

Now, he just had to find Kahlan and stop her before he lost her forever. Turning down the hall, he could hear her muffled sobs coming from behind a closed door. His heart began to race with the agonizing sound of her crying, relieved that she was at least still alive for the moment. He ached to hold her close, to comfort her.

Holstering his revolver, he softly opened the door, not wanting to scare her. His breath caught at the site of her kneeling on the floor in the middle of the room, dressed in her beautiful wedding gown. Her long raven curls tumbled over her bare shoulders, partially concealing her face from him. She held a knife in her trembling hands, prepared to thrust it deep into her chest.

He quickly made his way to her, kneeling down behind her. “Kahlan, please…don’t…” he softly protested, his fingers gently wrapping around hers to keep her from doing the unthinkable, his arm slipping around her chest and trapping her in his hold.

Kahlan gasped at the sudden sound of his voice so sweet in her ear, his warm breath soft against her cheek, his firm grasp on her hand as he carefully pulled the knife free from hands before tossing it aside.

Richard released a sigh of relief, pressing his forehead against the back of her shoulder as he held her tightly against him. “Kahlan,” he softly breathed her name, a cross between a desperate sigh and a tender plea as he fought to calm his hammering heart.

“Richard?” she cried as she slowly turned in his arms to face him. “You’re alive…” she gasped.

He immediately took her face wet with tears into his hands, his lips capturing hers in a heated kiss filled with desperate need as well as longing. His fingers slid up into her hair, keeping her close to him as he drank her in.

He could feel her melt into him, her falling tears wetting his face as well. She gripped his hair that hung along the back of his neck, pulling him unbelievably closer as she moaned into his mouth.

Reluctantly retreating for air, he rested his forehead against hers as he fought to catch his breath. He couldn’t tear his eyes off of her as he held her just absorbing the tender moment, the feel of her in his arms once more. This was where she always belonged.

“You’re alive,” she whispered through a veil of tears, her fingers caressing his face in effort to prove to herself that he was really here with her. “I…I thought I’d lost you…”

“Shhh…it’s alright…” he softly soothed her. “I’m here and I’m never going to leave you ever again.”

“What about Darken Rahl?”

“He’s dead, Kahlan,” he told her. “I killed him. He’s never going to be able to hurt you or anyone else anymore.”

Kahlan buried herself in the warmth and safety of his sheltering embrace, pressing her face into the crook of his neck as the full meaning of his words crashed down upon her. She had been set free by this amazing man holding her in his arms. And on top of that, he loved her in return.

She never dreamed her life could ever be this happy, that a love like this could exist for her. It was beyond imagining.

Richard held her as she cried, understanding better than anyone what she was feeling. Rahl would never again interfere in their lives, would never be able to hurt them.

Pulling back, Kahlan stared into his eyes, her hand coming to rest gently against his cheek. “I…I can’t thank you enough…” she softly cried, suddenly losing the ability to speak.

“Marry me, Kahlan,” he suddenly proposed, taking her hand and holding it against his chest.

Stunned, she looked down at their joined hands, her mind trying to tell her that this was just a fantastic dream, one she didn’t deserve. Why would someone as handsome and amazing as Richard want her?

Gentle but firm fingers beneath her chin forced her to meet his gaze, so intense and so full of love that it caused her to flush from the sheer strength of it. “I know we just met a few days ago, but I already know that I don’t want to spend a single day apart from you, Kahlan,” he confessed, his words coming out in a heated rush. 

“After my father’s death, I thought that I’d never feel anything but pain and anger for the rest of my life,” he continued before she could respond. “But then I met you and you turned my life upside down. You reached into my heart like no one else has ever been able to do, breathing new life into me.”

Kahlan bit her bottom lip, overcome with the happiness that his words brought to her. Her heart was pounding beneath her breast, her head spinning with what he was saying. Could this really be happening to her?

Richard stared into her eyes, overwhelmed with the emotions swarming inside of him and threatening to drown him in its intensity. His throat constricted with fear, suddenly scared that she didn’t share the same feelings he felt for her.

“Kahlan…I…” he began.

“Yes…yes,” she interrupted him with beautiful smile that caused a shiver to tingle through him. “I would love nothing more than to marry you and be your wife.”

Richard stared at her for a long moment before pulling her into a heated kiss that left them both breathless. “I love you, Kahlan,” he said, stroking her hair.

“I love you too, Richard,” she replied, her bottom lip beginning to tremble. “I’ve been…so alone for so long…so lost and scared. I never thought that I would ever know true love until you swept into my life.”

Richard smiled softly in response, his hand cupping her face again. “You’ll never be alone again, Kahlan. I’m never going to leave you.”

Leaning in, he brushed his lips so softly against hers, something so sweet and tender that it caused tears to resurface in her eyes once more. She sighed against his mouth and he almost fainted right there with the sweet surrender he felt in her touch as her fingers began to gently caress his chest through the opening of his shirt.

He felt his need for her begin to expand in its demand, his heart beating a little harder as he kissed her deeply. He began to lose himself in her as heated desire began to take over his body, his blood growing warm with arousal.

She tilted her head and parted her lips, beckoning him to taste her. He readily complied, his tongue gliding along hers before caressing the roof of her mouth. He moaned with the sweet taste of his Kahlan, hungry for so very much more of her.

As his hand softly stroked along her neck and collarbone, the sound of someone clearing their throat caused him to pull away against his will. “What is it, Chase?” he frowned as he stared at the woman who was going to be his future wife.

“So, are you two getting married or not?” he asked with a smirk as he stood in the doorway.

“She said yes,” Richard beamed, taking her hand in his and helping her to his feet, his attention completely captured by her and her alone.

“There’s a justice of the peace still waiting downstairs ready to perform a wedding for someone,” Chase hinted. “And Kahlan is wearing a wedding dress you know.”

“Chase, I can’t marry Kahlan looking like I’ve been to hell and back,” Richard shook his head as he glanced down at his beleaguered state.

“I think you look very handsome,” she softly told him, squeezing his hand.

Richard couldn’t stop the smile that suddenly lit his face even if he had wanted to. “Do you want to?” he asked, holding his breath in anxious anticipation of her answer.

“More than anything in this world,” she replied, her other hand finding his cheek before kissing him.

XXX

Richard nervously stood beneath the shade of a blossoming cherry tree with Chase at his side. It felt as though butterflies were furiously flittering around in the pit of his stomach. He could scarcely believe that this was really happening.

“Stop fidgeting,” Chase hissed under his breath. “It’s your wedding, not your execution.”

“I can’t help it,” Richard frowned. “I feel like I’ve waited my whole life for her…for this very moment. I’m about to marry the most beautiful woman I have ever met and I’m suddenly terrified that I’m not good enough for her.”

“That’s exactly what makes you the very best for you,” Chase reassured him, squeezing his shoulder.

“You go up against a dangerous tyrant like Darken Rahl and now all of the sudden you’re nervous?” Cara rolled her eyes. “You need your head examined.”

Just then, Kahlan came into view, a bouquet of wildflowers in her hands and a look of love sparkling in her bright blue eyes. Richard abruptly forgot how to breathe as he stared at her, his pulse racing. There was a sense of peace that seemed to envelope her; a radiant glow about her that seemed to be lit from deep within, further enhancing her beauty if that was even possible.

This was the real Kahlan approaching him, a woman that longed to be loved and love in return, to be held and cherished for who she was. What he had noticed in her when he had first met her was finally allowed to shine brightly for all to see, no longer shielded behind a thick layer of fear and pain.

He allowed his gaze to roam over her, to drink her in and revel in what would soon be his. Her raven curls hung past her bare shoulders, her white wedding dress hinting at the beautiful form that awaited him beneath it.

She shyly averted her eyes under his scrutinizing gaze, her cheeks growing warm with the longing she could see burning there. She felt that same longing simmering in her core and warming her blood. She found that she could hardly wait to be alone with him.

Meeting his gaze once more, Kahlan found herself mesmerized by how handsome he was, the new blue shirt that he had been able to find accentuating his warm chestnut eyes. His long brown hair framed his bronze face, the smile that danced on his lips causing her heart to skip a beat.

Coming to a stop by Cara, she turned to face the man who had won her heart, a soft sigh escaping her lips. This was not the wedding that she had been planning for, but was the one that she wanted above all else.

“Hi,” he breathed.

Kahlan smiled her special smile for him as she took his hand in hers. “Hi,” she whispered.

“You look breath-taking,” he softly said.

Kahlan’s face brightened even more with his compliment. “You look very handsome.”

Chase smiled at how in love these two were, reminding him so much of him and Emma. They both deserved this, deserved the love they shared. He couldn’t take his eyes off of them as the minister began the ceremony. The love that shined in their eyes was so very evident as they recited their vows, pledging their lives and eternal love to one another.

This was the dawning of a new era for D’Hara now that Darken Rahl was dead and it was beginning right here with these two and the life they were about to build together. He was thrilled to be a part of it, to be here to witness this new beginning.

He cast a glance at Cara standing behind Kahlan, relieved for her sake that she was free now as well. Rahl had spread so much tyranny for far too long, destroying so many lives, but Richard had managed to bring it all to an end.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the man happily announced. “You may kiss your bride.”

Richard swiftly leaned in before the words were barely out of the minister’s mouth, kissing her deeply as he pulled her to him. “I love you,” he whispered against her lips.

“I love you more,” she smiled in response, returning his kiss.

“So where are you two going to live?” Cara suddenly asked, interrupting the sweet moment.

“I never thought about that,” Richard suddenly frowned. “I don’t have a home.”

“Neither do I,” Kahlan admitted, her brow creased in thought. “I guess we’re homeless.”

“No, you’re not,” Chase shook his head as if the answer was so obvious.

Richard turned his attention to the sheriff. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I believe that all that Michael owned gets passed to his next of kin which would be you, Richard,” Chase informed him. “All of his money, his enormous ranch, his herds of cattle…it’s all yours now if you want it.”

Stunned by the revelation, Richard turned back to his new wife. “I guess we have a home…if you’re willing,” he told her.

“I don’t care if we live on a beautiful ranch or a shack in the woods,” she replied, caressing his cheek. “My home is with you now, Richard.”

He couldn’t suppress the smile that broke across his face or the overwhelming need to kiss her again. For so long, he’d known nothing but deep heartache and pain. He had never dreamed that when he had started this quest to avenge his father that it would ever end like this, married to a beautiful woman or owning his very own cattle ranch.

He had begun this journey feeling as though he was in the lowest depths of hell and in the end, he had found paradise.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My very first AU fic! Team Seeker and gang set in the Wild Wild West. Hope you enjoy the adventure!

Chapter 13

Kahlan pressed her cheek against her husband’s back, breathing him in and savoring the fact that he was hers now. The feel of him was making her tingle all over with anticipation of a night spent in his passionate arms. She could hardly wait to feel in his touch what burned in his eyes for her. 

She tightened her grasp around his waist as they rode out to Michael’s ranch, Richard’s horse not moving nearly fast enough for her liking. His scent as well as his nearness was making her head spin, her pulse quicken.

As if sensing her mutual need to be together, one of his hands suddenly dropped from the reins of his horse to find her arm, lightly caressing her soft skin and leaving a ripple of gooseflesh in its wake. She tilted her head, trailing kisses along the back of his neck, slowly caressing his tanned skin with her lips. 

She smiled against his neck as his throaty groan reached her ears, his hand now firmly gripping her arm, his thumb brushing back and forth against her skin. She could feel his body growing tense as she began kissing behind his ears, her teeth and tongue teasing the sensitive spot she found there.

Richard’s eyes fell closed, his chest rising and falling a little faster with what she was doing to him. He suddenly couldn’t get to their new home quick enough, his hunger to feel her surrounding him becoming stronger. 

He sucked in a sharp breath as she took his earlobe into the warm wet cavern of her mouth, her teeth slowly grazing over it. His need for her was steadily growing hotter, fire for her beginning to roil in his belly before coursing through his veins.

“Kahlan,” he softly moaned, something rough and desperate that sent a shiver up her spine.

Continuing her tortuous assault, she slid her hand up his abdomen, slipping inside the opening of his shirt. She lightly ran her fingers over his chest, slowly tracing over every dip and curve of the muscular plan she was exploring. She raked her fingernails back and forth over his nipple, releasing his earlobe and blowing softly on his wet skin.

He gasped loudly, his hand roughly snatching hold of her wrist and pulling it free from his shirt. He intertwined their fingers, bringing their joined hands up to his lips and kissing her knuckles softly.

“You keep that up much longer and I’m going to be forced to take you right here,” his reply husky and full of such sweet promise.

“I’m not stopping you,” she purred so sultry in his ear that he nearly came undone right there.

He growled under his breath, his growing frustration making it nearly impossible to even think straight let alone speak. He released a ragged sigh of relief when he saw their new home coming into view. He was growing more than anxious to get her out of that wedding dress and into his bed beneath him.

Richard urged his horse on faster as the sun began to set on the horizon, casting a warm wash of oranges and reds that made the mountainous landscape appear as if it was on fire. It seemed to match the blazing passion for his wife that burned through him. He was becoming painfully desperate to show her what he felt for her.

Kahlan could hardly believe her eyes as they approached the ranch sprawled out before them. It was more incredible than anything she’d ever seen, even better than Darken Rahl’s ranch because this one was theirs.

Dismounting, Richard turned and took Kahlan’s hand in his, surprised to find tears shining in her eyes. “What is it?” he asked, concerned. “What’s wrong?”

She gently shook her head in awe. “I’ve just never lived in such a beautiful place before,” she softly admitted, his hands grasping her waist as he helped her down, holding her against him and allowing her to slowly slide down his body.

He held her close to him for a long moment, his eyes falling closed as he pressed his lips to the most precious thing in this world to him. “You deserve so much more, Kahlan.”

“You keep telling me that and I might begin to believe you someday,” she sadly smiled, disbelief suddenly swimming in her eyes along with the remnant of her tears.

Pressing his lips to her forehead, Richard swore to himself that he was going to spend the rest of his life proving her worth to her. She was beyond invaluable, the only Kahlan there was in the world and she belonged to him now, not bought with money but earned through love.

“I’m going to spend every day proving to you how truly amazing you really are,” he told her, his fingers tightening around her waist as he kissed each eyelid and her nose before finding her lips.

“You make me feel so beautiful…so wanted,” she softly gasped as he began to kiss behind her ear, a tortuous assault that mimicked how she had tormented him just moments earlier. Her hands slid up from his forearms to grip his upper arms, her long fingers pressing into his firm muscles.

“You are incredibly beautiful, Kahlan,” he firmly said, his hand gently gripping her chin as he stared into the bluest eyes he’d ever seen. “And I want you…very much. You do things to me, stir my heart and make me feel things that I’ve never felt for another woman before.”

“I want you…more than you know,” she murmured, her lips suddenly colliding with his in a fierce kiss as her hand gripped the back of his head.

Her tongue slipped out to glide along his lower lip, suddenly tangling with his as the kiss grew more passionate, more insistent. Kahlan cried out with a sudden gasp of surprise as Richard abruptly knelt down, sweeping her up into his arms. She looped her arms around his neck with a giggling sigh of pure contentment, her lips finding his again as he carried her up the front steps, across the porch, and over the threshold.

“Welcome home, Mrs. Cypher,” he smiled softly at her as he set her down in the main greeting room.

Kahlan slowly turned to look around at the enormous home they now owned, in awe of the beauty of it. It was beyond anything she could’ve ever dreamed. “I wonder which way to our bedroom,” she finally, softly said, slowly turning her attention back to her husband.

The darkening storm of desire in her cobalt eyes caused his heart to stutter, making his own need even more demanding, consuming him body and soul. “I don’t know,” he murmured as he came to stand before her, “but I guess we’ll just have to start here and work our way through the house until we find it.”

Kahlan’s breath caught in her chest with his words, her pulse racing with sweet anticipation. “I love how you think…husband,” she murmured, running her fingers through his hair.

Before she knew it, Richard kissed her hard, her back suddenly hitting the wall behind her as he pressed himself against her. His fingers tangled in her hair as he kissed her, his hips rolling into hers and causing sparks to shoot through her. She immediately began tugging at his shirt, yanking it free and pausing only long enough to pull it over his head to toss it aside, reconnecting in a flash of passion.

Leaving her lips, he began planting hot kisses down her neck as her hands explored his back, his defined muscles flexing and relaxing with his every movement beneath her touch. She tilted her head back against the wall, her body on fire with his kisses.

She gasped as his lips met the tops of her breasts, his fingers finding the buttons that kept her enclosed in her wedding dress. He was growing more and more desperate to feel her soft skin pressed against his, to touch and kiss every inch of her perfect form.

Kahlan felt her dress begin to slip free from her body as hot need began to throb deeply in her core, begging for him to take her and quell the firestorm raging inside of her if but for only a moment. Hands rough with need and yet gentle with love began to pull the dress from her body, his lips finding one of her breasts and eliciting a breathy cry as his hot mouth took her inside. Her hands swiftly found his hair, holding him against her as she arched her back, giving herself to him.

Releasing her, he gave equal attention to the other, causing her to hiss with pleasure. His mouth was like scorching flames licking against her body, his teeth creating a blissful sting against her skin that made her legs weak.

She began to pant heavily, her pleasure soaring as he gripped her hips firmly with his large hands. She reached down to grasp his face to pull him up, desperate to taste him again. Releasing her grip on his face, her fingers skated along his abdomen before disappearing beneath the edge of his pants earning a low groan.

A strangled growl slipped past his lips as she began to gently stroke him. He felt like he had been starving his whole life just for her and now he had found her, was finally with her.

He pressed his forehead against her shoulder, completely losing himself in the gentle erotic feel of her fingers against his hot skin. He felt tears begin to burn in his eyes as he panted hot blasts against her skin, his heart ready to burst with the love that she was showing him.

He had been so very lost and alone after his father’s death, like a man lost in an endless desert of heartache. Finding Kahlan was like finding a beautiful oasis in the middle of a vast barren land. The tender love and compassion in her touch caused his tears to suddenly break free, slowly tickling down his cheeks as he gripped her tightly, pressing his hips into her touch.

Kahlan didn’t pause her deliberate attention as she showered him with her love. She turned her head, kissing and caressing his ear with her mouth. She felt wetness begin to trickle down her chest, his pain breaking her heart.

Pulling her hand free from his pants, she wrapped her arms around him, holding him to her. “I’m so sorry for all that’s happened to you, Richard,” she murmured in his ear, feathering kisses along his jaw and neck to his shoulder.

She felt his lips begin to caress her collarbone in response, his hands pushing her dress over her hips and allowing it to pool at her feet. He turned his head, searching for her lips like a man trying to find his way through the darkness.

He kissed her slowly, deeply, pouring every bit of himself into her. His tongue slowly stroked and danced with hers. The fiery passion of just moments ago now turned into steadily smoldering embers by his tears was set to erupt once more, warming them and gradually building their passion all over again.

“Kahlan,” he breathed, needing her more than he had ever needed another single living soul.

She was his salvation, rescuing him from a dark and isolated path filled with nothing but hatred and rage. And he knew that he had saved her as well, rescuing her from the loneliness and heartache that had stolen her life from her. They had needed each other more than either of them truly understood.

She stroked his hair as she kissed along his jaw, her fingers finding the laces of his pants and tugging on them. She needed him, needed this more than anything she had ever needed in her life. He was her savior, rescuing her from a life of pain and in the process becoming her all, the very center of her world.

“Kahlan,” he desperately whispered her name again as he tilted his head, a reverent chant on his lips as his mouth collided with hers again.

She quickly began to free him from his pants, her hands gripping his backside and pulling him against her. Their combined moans at the feeling of being skin against skin caused them both to pause for a moment, relishing in the sensation of being with the one who had stolen their heart. 

Kahlan partially opened her eyes, finding herself staring into the warm brown depths of the man that she loved. They stared at one another, savoring that thrilling moment just before they became joined as one body.

“I love you…Richard…” she panted softly against his face as he lifted her up, wrapping her legs around his waist.

Richard brushed his lips against hers, his teeth tugging on her lower lip. “I love you, Kahlan,” he breathed, his hands caressing and gripping her hips as he nuzzled his nose against hers.

Her fingers dug into his shoulders as he shifted her position around his waist, holding her down as he gently pushed up into her. Her head fell back against the wall with a sharp hiss of pleasure mingled with pain, his lips finding her throat to soothe her as she adjusted to the abrupt intrusion.

“Kahlan…”

His drawn out moaning pant of her name was the most beautiful sound to her ears at that moment, the feel of him so hard and hot within her causing fireworks to explode through her body. “Rich-ard…” she ground out through clenched teeth.

It was all he could do not to fall apart right there, the feel of her hot wet depths so tight around him nearly taking him over the edge. He lightly scraped his teeth along her fair skin of her throat, his tongue soothing the sting as he began to move inside of her.

Kahlan clutched at him, the feel of him moving within her better than anything she could’ve ever imagined it would be. She pressed her head firmly against the wall as he made love to her, her fingernails clawing at his sweat-slicked back.

Her mouth fell open with a sharp gasp, his naming being torn from her lungs as he began to move a little more forcefully within her. “Richard…” she cried, one hand gripping his hair, the other his back.

He pressed his mouth against her chest, suckling and teasing her moist skin. She writhed against the wall he had her pinned to, overwhelmed by his fiery passion and yet she felt like she couldn’t get nearly enough of him.

Richard panted against her breasts as sweat trickled down his back. Her heat pulsated around him, rapidly driving him mad as he drove deeper and deeper into her welcoming depths. He felt as though his thundering heart was about to burst from his chest with the love they were making, the feel of her fingernails pressing into his back, her continuous moans and cries spilling from her lips clouding his mind with a thick haze of euphoria.

With a sudden scream of his name, she gripped at him, coming in a heated rush and taking him over the edge along with her. They clung to one another’s trembling form, each fighting to calm their hammering hearts, to catch the breath their lover had stolen.

He kissed her deeply, slowly as they caressed each other, loving each other down from the incredible rapture they had reached together. Keeping her legs wrapped around him, he carried her over to the couch, lying down with her and holding her close to him.

Kahlan nuzzled her nose against his, her lips brushing softly against his as she caressed his face. “That…was…” she whispered, still struggling to overcome the blissful sensations pulsating through her.

“It was,” he agreed with a smile, capturing her lips in another kiss.

“I never knew love could ever be like this,” she softly admitted, gazing into his eyes still clouded with rapture.

“I’m going to show you…” he kissed her, “over and over…” he kissed her again, “and over again for the rest of your life.”

“I’d love nothing more,” she smiled softly before suddenly moving to straddle him. “And I’m going to show you too.”

Richard moaned a blissful sound that caused her smile to grow wider as she leaned over him. He gasped at the feel of her breasts sliding against his chest as she teased his lips with her teeth. His hands stroked along her thighs before firmly grasping her hips, more than anxious to surrender himself to her now.

XXX

They lay together in each other’s comforting embrace, their panting breaths mingling as one just as their bodies had been a couple of moments ago. Pulling her over to lay against his chest, he gently ran his fingers through her long damp hair, relishing the feel of her perfect form molded against his.

Kahlan sighed contentedly as she softly caressed his chest with her fingertips, the sound of his still hammering heart beneath her ear warming her clear to her toes. It flooded her with such happiness seeing and feeling what she could do to him, what he did to her.

A soft breeze filtered through a nearby window, cooling their sweat-slicked bodies as they lay on the floor, limbs tangled and bodies sated at least for the moment. He breathed deeply, inhaling her heavenly scent. He thought that he had never been happier in his entire life than he was at this very moment.

“So this is the kitchen?” she said with a light chuckle that sent a shiver up his spine.

“Do you think we’re getting closer?” he chuckled as well.

“Well, we’ve found the greeting room, the dining room, the living room, and now the kitchen,” she counted off. “We have to be getting closer.”

“I hope not,” he murmured with a grin, pulling her to lie on top of him.

Kahlan returned his smile, relishing the feel of every inch of their bodies touching. She caressed his face before brushing a lock of long brown hair from his forehead. “We still haven’t even gotten to the second floor yet,” she reminded him.

“We have the rest of our life to explore our new house,” he told her, his voice growing husky once more.

“Over…” she teased as she kissed him, “and over…” she kissed him again, harder, longer this time, “and over again…”

Chuckling against her lips, Richard slid his fingers up into his hair, pulling her down into another heated kiss, knowing that paradise had not only been found, but was just the very beginning for them.

 

**THE END (?)**


End file.
